Wherever You Will Go
by Kimiko Heroux
Summary: A DF story: Mirai Kimishima believes she has the short end of pretty much every stick. Cold and distant, she dejects everyone she comes across. But when she goes to the Digital World, her perspective begins to change. KojiXOC
1. Prologue

Prologue

I looked at myself in the mirror, scowling. I ran my fingers through my black hair that was at one time brown, annoyed with ink, pens, and pretty much every other writing utensil. Shaking my head in dismay, I mumbled, "I can't believe it hasn't grown out yet. Man, if I see him again, I'm gonna kill 'em. Tear him apart, limb from—" I was cut off by a voice from in the other room.

"Mirai, get in here!" Yukio's seemingly always angry voice (he always seemed to use that tone only with me) came from his room, I could tell. Of course, he probably didn't want to get off his lazy butt.

I put my hair into a ponytail while walking out of the room, grumbling, "_Kuso_..." I let out a sigh of aggravation, hoping that no one heard my foul language. But everyone in this household should be used to it by now.

I walked into Yukio's room, seeing him watching TV while playing with his cell phone. At my entry, he tossed the phone onto his dresser. "Finally," he moaned, as if it took me a century just to walk to his room, "Get me a soda."

I gritted my teeth while glaring at him, barely containing my instantaneous anger. "_Damare Konoyarou!_" I turned around, about to leave. I knew already Mom and Dad were going to find out what I said. But it wasn't like I cared.

Yukio laughed at my cursing. "Fine. If you won't get me a soda, then get me a Shibuya map." This statement took me by surprise. He couldn't use a map to save his life, and as far as I knew, that's what he needed it for.

I spun around to face him, a look of perplexity plastered onto my face. "Why?" I questioned.

He gestured to his phone. "I got a message from this weird lady saying I had to take the five forty-five o'clock Shibuya bound train." He shrugged and took a long pause, as if this was to be a signal to me or something. "C'mon, get me a map!"

I swiped the phone from on his dresser. Running out of the room, I shouted back at him, "_Jigoku e ike_!" I grabbed a hat and zipped my navy blue sweatshirt, running out the door, using this mysterious message as a chance to get away from home. I hated it there and all of the stupid people that lived there. Especially, Yukio. The favorite.

Running down the sidewalk, I jammed the cell phone into my pocket and tucked my hair into the hat. If Yukio was the one expected to show up, then at least I could at look like a guy. It wouldn't be of any trouble to be on the safe side, though it could cause some problems later on if I wasn't prepared.

I pulled out the phone, the text of the message covering the screen, "Take the 5:45 Shibuya bound train from Jiyuugaoko Station".

I sighed, running toward Jiyuugaoko Station. I had a general idea of where it was located, since my putrid school had to use maps in Social Studies. I hated all of that interaction I had to do. I just never was part of the group, metaphorically speaking.

Entering the station, I looked around. "_Kuso_, I need at ticket!" I nearly crushed Yukio's cell phone out of my frustration. Suddenly, I heard a weird beeping noise and a bunch of cries of slight panic arise.

I glanced around. The machine that ejected the tickets was shooting out the tickets left and right. Fleeing from the scene, I saw I kid…with…goggles…? Oh. My. _Kamisama_.

Ignoring all of the thoughts of homicide entering my mind (and all of thoughts of trying to remember what his name was), I ran and picked up a ticket. Running for the train, many memories came back into my head. Many thoughts that made me want to kill a few people. Namely one person.

I darted toward the train in a full sprint, looking quickly at the clock. I only had a little time to get onto the train. It was make it or bust. And I knew that defeat wasn't an option I was going to accept lying down.

I saw the train before me. People were flooding in on the side closest to me, so I wouldn't make it in. I had to go to the other side, that was my only hope. And still, it may be the same as this side.

With a large running start, I jumped through the gap in between where the individual cars connected (something you probably shouldn't do when the train could leave at any second) and made a sharp ninety-degree turn. Immediately I saw the door had neither closed nor was crowded with people. I instantly gave a long, loud sigh of relief.

I ran through the doors, just a split-second before they closed. Instantly when I stepped through the doors, I ran into someone, nearly losing my balance and my hat, but I secured the cap with my hand in one smooth motion.

He looked at me in mystification, and I gazed back into his cobalt eyes, not so much in apology as it should have been, but in a kind of perplexity of my very own. There was something about him that caught my attention…

I broke myself out of my stare. He had looked away as quickly as he had laid his eyes on me, so I looked like an absolute idiot just standing there staring at him. That immediate realization made my face glow a slight pink.

I heard Yukio's cell phone make noise, and I pulled it out of my pocket. The on-screen text said:

Transfer to the

6 o'clock subway

from Shibuya

Station

On the other side of the train opposite of me, much to my outmost irritation, was the goggle kid yelling out, "Gaaahh! Come on! Give me a break! I'm doing the best I can!"

I had to agree with him, except it was about my own terms. I _was_ doing the best I could, it still had that chance of not being enough. Sure, I was fulfilling my own, personal goal of getting far away from home, but I still had to wonder about what was going on. From what I saw, I wasn't (well, technically not me. Technically Yukio) the only one getting these messages. I just wanted to know why.

We stopped at Shibuya Station about five minutes to six. I darted off of the train, though it was hard since I was shoved back and forth in the claustrophobic crowds, so much that I couldn't take a single step without hitting someone. From behind me, the goggle-wearing wonder rammed right into me.

"Watch it!" I snarled angrily, but by the time I opened my mouth, he was already out of sight. I knew if he was going the same place I was, I'd better kick it up a notch. There was no turning back now.

I made a beeline toward the elevator. When it came into my view, I saw it was already closing, and the goggle kid (I was surprised I didn't remember his name yet) was diving in. I was hoping he'd be cut in half by the doors.

I knew for certain I wouldn't make it to the elevator in time, so I instantly headed for the stairs. Descending quickly, I wasn't watching anything other than my own feet so I wouldn't lose my balance. I nailed someone head-on. He dropped his drink (whatever it was) all over the stairs, so much I almost slipped. I apologized (this is when I realized hitting people was a reoccurring theme right now) and kept going, hoping I didn't cause any casualties to anyone that was in a hurry and running down the stairs.

"The bottom floor," I mumbled, going down what felt like the millionth staircase, nearly collapsing then and there out of exhaustion. It lead to a rather open are with about ten trains.

I pulled out the cell phone as a voice emitting from it said, "It's up to you now. Which one will you choose?" It must have been the lady Yukio was talking about.

"Which one will _I _choose? Well, since I'm pretending to be Yukio, I should act like 'em. And if this was him, he'd choose the one closest to the stairs." I nodded to myself, knowing my statement was quite true.

As I headed for the nearest train, I saw the elevator come down and the doors open. The same azure-eyed kid that I bumped into on the train ran out and to the same train I was headed to.

A voice called after him, "Wait! Which one are you choosing?" As if fate couldn't hate me any more than it did, I immediately recognized the voice. I wanted to bang my head on the wall. Repeatedly.

Figuring, since I knew him overall pretty well, I came to the conclusion that he'd probably go to the train closest to him, which was the one next to the train that I was getting on.

Content with my decision, I ran to my train and got on. I stood by a window and looked as the clock struck six and all of the doors slammed shut, moments after the trains beginning to leave.

A few minutes later, the back door opened. I came face to face with the kid with cobalt eyes. I stared at him with the same perplexity as before. He really didn't seem to notice.

This was the moment I noticed his true features. He had long, black hair, darker than the night itself and it was held back in a navy blue bandana. He wore a royal blue sweatshirt over a yellow t-shirt. Out of his entire appearance, it was his shining cyan eyes that stood out like a diamond in the rough. They were deep and full of thought, deep enough that it seemed as though he was looking into my very soul.

A moment of silence passed, and I felt like I should say something to break the silence. "I guess we're the only ones here…" I trailed off, as he said nothing in response to this. An urge came to say more. "By the way, I'm—" I thought quickly of a guy's name. "—Kazuma Imouto." I held out my hand for him to introduce himself and shake, but he just stared at me as if he was saying, 'Do you really expect me to believe that?'

_Kuso_. I was already caught. I sighed, knowing that my gig was up as soon as it had started. "Fine…I'm Mirai Kimishima, but please don't tell anyone. I'm not supposed to be here…"

He smiled slightly. "Koji Minamoto." He returned my offer and shook my hand.

As soon as our hands touched, the train jerked abnormally, and, caught off guard, I lost my balance and fell on top of him. As soon as I noticed where I landed, I felt my face turn crimson and jumped back onto my feet. Sitting down on a seat, I sighed. Hopefully the rest of my trip to wherever wouldn't be so chaotic.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"What is this place?" I questioned, mostly to myself, looking out the window at weird white things floating in the sky. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that they had faces…that's…odd.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from nowhere. "First stop of two! First stop of two!" The doors swung open. "You! With the hat! This is your stop!"

I guessed that I was one being talked to by whoever that was. I turned back to Koji and he just shrugged. I turned away and walked out the door onto the platform, looking around with the curiosity that filled me.

The doors of the train slammed quickly and loudly, and in an instant, the train was off to _Kamisama _knows where. In just about no time at all, it was out of my sight. I didn't really care too much about its dismissal, since I preferred to be alone anyway. But I couldn't help but wonder what would become of Koji.

I begun to walk off the platform and decided to pull out Yukio's cell phone, just incase I—er, he got a new message. But instead of pulling out the phone, I pulled out a different device, colored with dark violet and blue.

"_Nani yo_?! Where's the stupid phone?! And n_an da kor' ya_?!" I was just about ready to bust the thing apart in my frustration. Yukio was going to have a fit when he learned out I lost his phone.

Suddenly, much to my surprise, the stupid thing spoke, "Welcome to the Digital World. This is your D-Tector." It oddly enough was the voice that the cell phone had. So weird that I turned to the theory of it being a prerecorded voice.

"Oh, how frickin' pleasant." I was getting fed up with even being here with a stupid lady that seems to have absolutely no emotion and with a stupid thing that looked like Yukio's phone was melted into some weird demented blob.

"Hey, look, a human!"

A bunch of white things hopped up to me. They pretty much looked like circles with wings and weird red eyes. I coulda sworn that the one in front just talked, but that may had been me just going purely insane.

I scowled at them. "Yeah, so I'm human. What are ya gonna do, burn me at the stake?" My temper was already pretty high on the chart, so I figured that my tone would scare whatever the heck they were away.

They all huddled together and discussed something for a moment. Then, a few seconds later, they turned back to me with creepy little smiles on. "That's a good idea, human!" the first one exclaimed, which slightly took me by surprise.

"Can I just have one moment, then? Before you kill me and all that _kuso_?" I questioned. They stared at me, which I took as a yes. "Okay, then." I swung my leg a hundred-eighty degree angle and nailed the lead white thing, taking off running.

The mob of white things bounded after me pretty quickly, despite their lack of legs. The look on their faces seemed to say that they were hungry and I was going to be their dinner. How frickin' peachy.

I saw just a random tree in the middle of practically nowhere. I broke a branch and spun around, all of the little white things stopping and just looking at me, horrified and angered, like saying, 'What the hell did you just do?'

"You do bad, human," the white thing I kicked said. He had a footprint tattooed onto his face—er, body. "You took a branch from the Ever Tree. You bad, bad boy." Well, at least I knew that my disguise was working pretty well. Or maybe they were just that dumb.

"Uh…I'm guessing that isn't a good thing, then." I glanced at the branch and saw it start to incinerate to dust while it was in my hands. "Well…um…that's not exactly normal…So why did that just…do that?"

They just stared at me like I was stupid. "Ever Tree is the last tree in Village of Flame. Never grows, never dies. Sealed in time." The leader turned back to his white thing comrades as they all nodded, confirming his statement true.

The leader turned back to me, anger plastered on its face. "You break seal! You pay for deed!" They all dove at me at once.

Suddenly, the tree split in half and a little figurine-like thing floated out, glowing and obviously supposed to be eye-grabbing. The weird, white things stopped and started at it, whispering, "Spirit…"

I heard my D-Tector (as it was called, I wasn't making any bets) making noise, and I pulled it out. It was glowing brightly, and I felt a weird calling emitting from the figuring thingy that the white dudes called a Spirit. It was calling me to it and I felt a weird instinct emerging from inside me.

I held out my D-Tector with both hands. "Spirit!" I yelled. A light enveloped the Spirit and drew it into the device in my grasp. I let my instincts take over. "Execute! Spirit Evolution!!"

I felt a new power emerging as I saw blue streams surround me in all sides in a bright encasement of light. I felt new senses come into actions, stronger than humanly possible. _My body…my heart…my mind…changing…_

The first things I truly took notice of was that I was substantially taller and on my back were large, golden wings. And apparently, my hair grew a lot, the tan-ish brown I had before it was dyed.

A voice in my mind rang out, saying the name of the new form I had taken. _Gryphanimon…Legendary Warrior of Time…_

It seemed that that the little white guys knew exactly who I was as well. "A Legendary Warrior! A human became a Legendary Warrior! Hightail it, guys!!" They immediately turned tail and took off hopping in the opposite direction.

That was a real downer to my new self. I wanted to see exactly what I could do and now there was no one to test my power on. I couldn't attack the tree, either, since it split in half and then incinerated. _Kuso_.

I went back to my human self, holding my D-Tector in my hand, staring down at it intently. "That was weird. I'll just pretend I know what happened…"

The same voice emitted from the device that was once Yukio's cell phone. "You are DigiDestined, chosen for great things. Do not be frightened; the one who chose you was you."

I rolled my eyes at the stupid voice. "Yeah, I'm scared out of my frickin' mind, can't ya see?" I gave the D-Tector a nonchalant look and tone. "This is the face of one who's terrified, so much I think I may run around in circles, screaming my head off."

The voice didn't reply to my sarcastic comment, so I shoved the D-Tector back into my pocket and begun walking. I didn't know where the hell I was, though the round, white guys (did that sound racist?) said something about Village of Flame, but wherever that was, I'd never heard of it. I remembered the voice from the D-Tector saying something about the Digital World.

I walked until I reached a different train station, in the heart of whatever town it was. There wasn't anyone around, aside from more weird looking creatures, some the same, but others different from which I encountered.

I walked through it, feeling out of place there, seemingly being the only human around. But I came to dread that thought. I hate it when I jinx things; it makes my crap life even worse.

I saw a few figures standing on the platform of the station, obviously talking about something. I was about just make my way around the station so I wouldn't have to interact with the likes of them, but they saw me and ran over. It was at that moment that I knew it was the apocalypse.

And of course, the one leading all of the other people was none other than the goggle-wearing delight himself. Along with him was a blonde girl in mostly lavender attire, a little boy with a big hat, and a brown-haired dude in a blue jumpsuit. With them were two little creatures: a yellow rabbit with red pants (WTF?) and a white…thing with a pink waistband and a head shaped kinda like a radish.

"Oh, awesome, another human!" Goggles exclaimed. "So we're not the only ones here! By the way, I'm Takuya." Takuya…that was his name.

Blondie smiled sweetly. "Hello, I'm Zoe." Yeah, I knew it all along. She was a girly girl. That was explained completely by her name.

"Hey, the name's JP. Got anything to eat?" Mr. Jumpsuit held out his hands in a mooching manner. I just wanted to smack him to the ground and step all over him for his actions. And maybe a little just for the fun of it…

The littlest kid with the funky hat tried to smile, but the glare I was sending everyone in the group apparently made it hard. "Hi, I'm Tommy."

I stared down at the rabbit and radish-head, awaiting their own introductions. Maybe these ones don't talk…

But I was mistaken. The radish talked first. "My dear girl—" _Kuso. _"—are you one of the DigiDestined? One of those sent to save all Digimon from destruction the evil Cherubimon?" _Digimon, that's what they're called?_

The rabbit tapped on the radish's shoulder. "Bokomon, Bokomon, Bokomon, Boko—" The radish, apparently called Bokomon, cut him off by swatting his hand away, annoyed.

"Neemon, can't you see that I'm busy?! What is it?" I could easily see that those two little things couldn't really get along all that well.

"I think that's a boy," the rabbit, called Neemon, answered, looking at me momentarily. He didn't look like the smartest of all bunny rabbits I've seen, but he did manage to make Bokomon both embarrassed and steamed at the same time.

Bokomon gazed at me in apology, bowing his head repeatedly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! My mistake!"

I shook my head, a signal to notify him to let it go and to show that I didn't really mind. After all, a boy was what I was trying to go as, so I just had to make everyone believe my hoax.

"Well, could you tell us who you are, at least?" Takuya asked, taking notice that I wasn't really one to talk. His voice rose when I said nothing. "C'mon, buddy! You could be considerate enough to answer me!"

I could've, but I didn't. I wanted _him _to figure out who I was, and I couldn't help but wonder how he'll react when he figures it out…if he figures it out, that is. A thing I learned about Takuya in the past: He was dumber than a ten-pound sack of stupid.

I turned my head away from the group in resentment and began to walk away from them. I didn't want to travel with the likes of them; they'd only prove to be an annoyance to me.

But my actions set Takuya off. I always seemed to do that in the past, too. He put his hand on my shoulder and shoved me around to face him. We spent a moment just glaring at each other.

"Do you have any consideration for others at all?!" he snapped, his brown eyes flaring with anger for the treatment I was giving to him and his group. "I bet your just a selfish kid with no friends! No one likes you 'cause you think you're better than them!"

That did it. I was infuriated. He knew nothing about me, not even back in the human world. But still…

"Guys, stop it!" Zoe pulled Takuya back before I could sock him. The fact that she took his side made me more irritated than the fact I didn't get to hit him. It was just like before…I was alone…

Still tight in Zoe's grasp, Takuya sent me a glare, trying to tear me down with his eyes. "I'm not the one who started it…" he grumbled, slightly mad at Zoe.

She shook her head. "I don't care who started it. Come on, Takuya, someone's gotta be the bigger man here. It's either him or you, and from what I've seen, I don't think it's going to be him."

I was actually rather surprised how well this was working out. Though the brutal treatment, totally uncalled for. Well, it wasn't like I didn't expect it. And it wasn't exactly the first time, either.

I began to walk away, and this time, no one tried to stop me. I assumed that it was because Zoe was still holding Takuya back and he's the only one that would have tried to. Everyone just kept their eyes on me as I made my way to the forest on the other side of the village. I knew from earlier experiences that it wasn't going to be the last time that I saw the likes of them. Oh frickin' joy.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I walked to the forest, looking around at all of the little "Digimon" as Bokomon called them savaging around and doing…whatever they were doing. I had to admit, it was actually rather peaceful here, unlike back in the human world. This was the moment when I truly realized that I was in a completely different place. Moreover a haven compared to earth.

I paused to rest, climbing up in a tree just to get a look at the surrounding area. I saw little houses. I assumed that they were for Digimon, and surprisingly, they were actually pretty well designed.

Sitting down on a high branch I took off my cap, letting my ponytail fall down my back. Running my fingers incessantly through my bangs, I scowled, Takuya instantly coming to my mind. He was the cause of too much annoyance.

A few minutes passed, but I could only assume, since I realized that I dozed off. And the only reason I awoke was because I heard voices talking in the distance. Hearing them, I tucked my hair back into the cap and kept my guard up, looking alive.

And as if I didn't expect it, I distinctly heard familiar voices that I knew over time would become a little _too _familiar.

"Maybe girls aren't meant to be Digimon…"

"Excuse you!"

I looked down as the tiny group passed under me, but I soon noticed that JP and Tommy weren't with them. I wasn't really concerned, it just slightly struck me as weird, since all of them seemed to be as new to the Digital World as I was, and it wasn't really the smartest idea to be wandering off alone. Yeah, but I was one to talk.

Curiosity got a good portion of me and I decided to follow Takuya, Zoe, and the two Digimon, just to see where they were going. I sure as hell didn't know where I was supposed to be going and I was thinking that maybe _somebody_ did.

They stopped at a little house; one that I assumed was either Bokomon or Neemon's. They stayed there talking, much to my outmost boredom and irritation. Maybe they were as clueless as I was…

I decided to head back to the village, but as soon as I took a step, the ground broke under me. I fell into pitch blackness, landing in a giant pile of hay. It broke my fall mostly, but moreover, it hurt my pride than anything else.

"Okay…that…was rather unexpected…" I rubbed my head, though thankfully, I hadn't landed on it. That would have caused some serious trauma.

I looked around. It was rather quiet and dark, though everywhere I looked there was a furnace thing, which I assumed heated all of the buildings above. I didn't see why someone needed so many heating systems, since it was called the Village of Flame. The name didn't make it seem like it snowed there very often.

I was lost, I couldn't avoid admitting that. I spent a long while trying to find some way out, so I wasn't really surprised that I found out there were people down there. I saw two figures running toward me, screaming their lungs out.

They zipped right past me as I saw the same white round things from earlier chasing after them. Everyone and everything that ran past me in those few seconds ignored my presence completely, though I assumed this wasn't going to end well for someone. And from what I've experienced, I'm one of the people on Fate's hit list.

I, hoping that maybe they knew their way out, tailed them to a rather open area that was in a dome-like shape. I watched in slight confusion as they were attacked by the white things and made no effort to assist them.

But suddenly, another figure jumped down from one of the ventilation tunnels higher up and slid down the pole. I recognized the form to be none other than Koji Minamoto. For some reason, I was actually glad to see him again…

The white Digimon changed their target to Koji as he broke part of a pole off and began batting them with it. He lunged upward on top of it as they gathered around him. Their huddle was short-lasted when he dispersed the group with a springing-like maneuver.

He again began to swing at them in almost a baseball bat motion, but they all enclosed him completely. Suddenly, the pole launched up one of them (I believe it was the same one that I kicked) into the air and started swinging the pole around in a circular motion, flinging them all back against the wall. A few short moments later, the leader one hit the ground, obviously angered.

Koji smiled, his face showing slight triumph, but said nothing.

The leader Digimon was clearly not pleased. "Oh yeah, human?! Don't smile yet!" Immediately, it was enveloped in a blue stream and it changed into a much larger, more sickening Digimon.

JP and Tommy screamed at the sight of it, but Koji got back into a defensive position as it proclaimed to be threatening, but overall sounded actually kind of strange, "I'll eat you up!"

Suddenly, my D-Tector made noise, identifying the Digimon, "Raremon: A sewer Digimon. If the smell of its rotting flesh doesn't knock you out, its Acid Sludge attack will."

"Well, that's slightly helpful…" I mumbled to myself, watching Koji lunge at the large slug-shaped Digimon.

Tommy tripped and fell right as Raremon unleashed its green attack that seemed to resemble snot. Koji ran to Tommy and scooped him up, darting out of the way. Where the attack hit the floor, the acid had completely melted holes in it.

Raremon unleashed another Acid Sludge. Koji narrowly avoided being hit as he ran toward the other side of the area. It was then that I noticed Takuya, Zoe, Bokomon, and Neemon had arrived.

"Ew, it smells!!" Zoe complained loudly, putting her hands to her nose.

Takuya pulled out a D-Tector of his own and looked down at it. I was surprised to see that he had one, knowing of his skill level. "Spirit, wake up! I need you!" He began to push buttons. "C'mon, I'm not kidding here!" His frustration was easily seen as he sped up the pace of his button-pressing.

Bokomon was the one to chime in this time. "Hey, Takuya, no pressure, but you might want to think about Spirit Evolving before Stinky there turns your friends into goop."

Raremon had Koji and Tommy backing up toward a hole. "Going somewhere?" it questioned, cornering them. Koji stepped back and nearly fell down the hole, but luckily caught himself in time.

"Come on! Come on!" Takuya's frustration was obvious. "Spirit!!" His D-Tector glowed and he was surrounded with a swirl of what I found out from Bokomon's blabbering to be data. "Execute! Spirit Evolution!" In a few moments, a tall red and black Digimon stood in his place. "Agunimon!"

I kinda just stared at Takuya's new form in a mystification. I didn't know exactly what his form was. Maybe he was some sort of Neemon hybrid…

Agunimon ran at Raremon and shoved him back into the wall. Raremon didn't take too kindly to this and launched Acid Sludge attacks in every direction. To avoid the assault, Agunimon jumped back toward Koji and Tommy. He blocked the attack and turned to them, saying, "Now's your chance! Run!"

But then, to pretty much everyone's surprise (and slightly to my humor), Takuya turned back into himself. He froze and stared at himself in confusion. "What's going on? I turned back into me!" he exclaimed, hitting panic almost instantly.

"Still here!" Raremon shouted, releasing another Acid Sludge.

"Watch out!" Takuya yelled, grabbing Tommy and running out of the way. But in this process, he knocked Koji into the hole. "Oh no!"

I instantly pulled out my D-Tector, ready to fight Raremon myself. But I stopped, an intense light shining from inside the hole. Suddenly, all of the holes created by Raremon's attack that were making light seep through shifted, all pointing into the hole.

Almost straight away, I heard a shout emerge from inside the hole, "Spirit!!" By now, I knew what was coming. "Execute! Spirit Evolution! Lobomon!!"

Then the entire room was filled with light as a new Digimon emerged. He had the design of a wolf, varying in shades of blue and white.

"Haha! Wow!" JP exclaimed, staring at what Koji had become.

Though his words sounded like it, Takuya's tone said that he wasn't jealous. "Man, did I look that cool?!"

Tommy nodded. "Yeah, but different!"

Lobomon stood before Raremon, ready for his attack. Raremon merely growled at him.

I noticed that Bokomon had a green book open and in his hands. "That's the Legendary Warrior of Light! Lobomon!" he proclaimed.

Zoe stared in awe. "I have never seen anything more beautiful in my whole life!" she stated, never taking her eyes off of Koji's form, and causing a few replies of agreement to emerge from everyone else. I didn't want to admit it, but I actually agreed with her one hundred percent.

Raremon launched another one of his Acid Sludge attacks.

"LoboKendo!" Lobomon pulled out a sword of light and ran at Raremon, slicing his attacks with the greatest of ease. He then jumped up and stabbed it right in the head, releasing a plum-colored liquid.

Raremon cried out in pain as data circled around it. Lobomon pulled out his white and blue D-Tector and pressed a button on the side, saying, "Now you talking trash heap prepare to be recycled. Fractal Code! Digitize!" He swiped the D-Tector over the data, which was apparently called the Fractal Code, and Raremon disappeared, his data being sucked into the D-Tector.

Koji returned to his human form on his knees, clearly exhausted. Takuya and Tommy dashed up to him.

"Koji!" I blurted out uncontrollably, my face turning red as soon as I did so, running toward him. At this, everyone, aside from Koji, stopped and stared at me for probably two reasons: 1) they didn't know I was there 2) I was concerned about someone and actually spoke to them.

Takuya offered his hand to Koji, who just shot back, "Don't touch me. I don't need your help or anyone else's." He stood up. "But I guess I should thank you for saving me…"

"Did you forget he that then knocked you down into a hole?" I mumbled, keeping my distance from Tommy and Takuya, but not really caring how close I was to Koji.

I knew Koji heard me, but he ignored my statement, continuing on, "I always repay my debts."

Takuya gave him a look that clearly stated, 'What the heck are you talking about?' while replying, "I didn't save you so you'd owe me, you know."

Koji turned around to face Takuya and Tommy. "My name is Koji Minamoto. And you are?" When no one said anything, he questioned, "So are you going to tell me? I can't repay you if I don't know your name."

Takuya answered finally, "I'm Takuya Kanbara," though the way he said it made it sound like he wasn't even sure.

Koji turned back away. "Takuya, huh?" He flicked two fingers back as a good-bye. "See ya."

Takuya ran up to him and stopped him, causing Koji to give him a look of mixed emotions. Ignoring the look, Takuya said, "Okay, you apparently know _that_ person _right _there, since he knew your name." He pointed toward me and I just stared back in irritation. "So you must know his name, right?"

Koji glanced my way and I tossed him a gaze that said, 'Please don't tell him!' He nodded slowly at my silent request and answered, "Kazuma Imouto. Can I go now?" He didn't wait for a reply from Takuya; he just walked away.

"Can I go now? That doesn't sound like a name…" Takuya went into a state of confusion and I couldn't help but facepalm.

Everyone else walked over as JP questioned, watching Koji leave, "What's his deal?"

Zoe began to walk away. "Come on, guys. Let's get out of here. This place smells like dead fish!" she exclaimed.

I exited the cave the same way Koji had gone a few moments before and found him leaning against a tree looking at the sky. I walked over to him and sat next to him. He kept his eyes off of me, but I still stared at his face.

"Hey," I said simply, gazing into his cerulean eyes, not smiling but not scowling either. "Thanks for that."

He shrugged as if I gave gratitude often, but that was pretty much the opposite. For me, thanking someone is like giving them all the money I own. "It's not really my business whether you want others to know who you are or not."

I leaned against the hard, supporting trunk of the tree. I looked up, seeing the weird white Digimon that I saw when I was on the train floating by. I could now clearly see that they did indeed have faces.

"Still…" I trailed off as my eyes landed back on Koji's face. "There's more to you than meets the eye. I saw that everyone else thinks badly of you. Well, they're idiots."

He gave a slight chuckle, still not looking at me. He said nothing in response of my compliment. He smiled up at the sky, his bright blue eyes shining.

He stood up suddenly. He looked down at me, his light smile turning into a full-fledged smirk. "Yeah, there's more to you, too, Mirai." He began to walk away.

I jumped to my feet. "Wait, Koji!" I called, causing him to stop and glance back at me. I didn't really know how present what I was going to ask. "Well, I was really going anywhere and—Could I—uh…"

He shrugged, getting my message. "Sure, whatever."

I tossed him another grateful look. "Thanks." I caught up to him and that's when I realized something. This new personality—this new _person_ I was when Koji was around: She was different.


	4. Chapter 3

**By the way, a thanks to all the people that reviewed and favorited my stories. It's nice to know that there are people that actually like my work, and I love constructive critz. But anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy! :)**

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Chapter 3

"The wind of the Digital World smells pretty sweet…"

I walked up to Koji, who was at the top of a hill, staring up at the sky. Its color couldn't compare to his brilliant eyes. "What did you say?" I questioned, getting closer. The wind was blowing moderately, nearly blowing off my hat. But suddenly, I heard our D-Tectors make noise.

I pulled mine out as the feminine voice said, "Attention. Go to the Forest Terminal immediately." Then the commission stopped abruptly.

"Well, that was short, and to the point, but not so sweet," Koji mumbled, throwing his D-Tector back into his pocket carelessly, in one smooth motion that if I tried to imitate, my D-Tector would go flying off to the next century.

"Didn't even say please," I added, shoving my own D-Tector back into my pocket. I rolled my neck and heard the painful crack before I felt it. "Okay, that _definitely _wasn't supposed to happen." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Okay, Forest Terminal…Here's a good question: Where is that?"

He shrugged, as clueless as I was. The geography of the Digital World wasn't exactly normal, as a human would call it. "You could ask," he suggested, referring to all of the Digimon that were wandering around nearby.

I sighed, snapping my neck back into place. It still felt a little sore and numb; I rubbed it. "If you hadn't noticed already, I'm not exactly the people type." I cast him an annoyed look.

"I never said you had to talk to a _person_," he replied mockingly, sending me back the same expression I was giving him.

I let out a loud exhale while heading down the hill. I found a Digimon—one that at least looked a _little_ intelligent—and just kinda walk up to it, feeling out of place in just about a million different ways.

I tapped the little dude on the shoulder. "Hey, uh…" I looked back behind me, seeing Koji approaching me to see how well I'm doing with direct confrontation. "Me and the guy behind me—" The Digimon cut me off.

It glanced behind me at Koji "The emo kid with the bandana?" it questioned, looking back at me.

I paused, the word emo taking me by surprise. I wondered if Koji heard that… "Uh…sure…him…well, anyway, we were wondering where the Forest Terminal was. Do you know?"

"It's deep within the Forest Kingdom." The Digimon pointed…whatever direction that was. "That way." I looked that way and began walking, which obviously for some odd reason, angered it. "Hey, where's the gratitude, bub?" It lunged at me and tackled me to the ground, my hat flying off.

I spit dirt and grass out of my mouth. "Yeah, sure, thanks for the face-plant…_Kuso atama_."

Luckily, the Digimon didn't catch my cursing, so just walked away. At least I knew where we were going now, that is, if that Digimon knew its geography well and it wasn't just trying to get us off course so we're eaten by something. That, by no means, would be fun.

"Get directions?" Koji questioned, walking up to me.

"Uh-huh, but not without something to show for it." I pulled a leaf out of my hair and set it on top of Koji's bandana-covered head. "Here ya go…now to find my hat…" I looked around, seeing it had flew a short distance away.

I ran to get it, tripping on something in the process. "Man, gravity hates me today…" I mumbled, looking back to see what hates me enough to get in my way in order to watch me fall on my face.

I saw a blue thing. "Uh, Koji? Since when are rocks a really deep blue color?" I asked, looking from the blue thing to Koji, who was walking over.

"Since we entered this world, I guess." He looked at the blue object, taking it in his hands. "And since this was an egg."

I scowled, walking over to stand next to him to take a closer look. "Honest to _Kamisama_…Can't catch a break here…well, we can just leave it here, then…unless we make an omelet out of it…?" I gave Koji a look that said, 'we should totally crack that baby open and chow down'.

"But what if Digimon eggs are poisonous?" He cast me a glance that said, 'if so, you can have the first bite'.

I really hadn't taken that possibility into mind. We weren't back home; those eggs might not be edible. It was a good thing that Takuya wasn't here. He would have fried the egg up and poisoned us all.

I shrugged, sighing. "Fine, put it down then and let's go."

But right at that moment, the egg glowed a bright white color. The shell spilt in half, revealing a little blue and white, dragon-like Digimon. Its bright red eyes stared up at us like we looked good to eat or something.

"_Nan da kor' ya_?!" I questioned in annoyance. I stared at the little creature, mentally noting its poor timing. I had to also note the question of why these things always would happen…

The little Digimon looked at me in confusion, hearing my words, but most likely not understanding. I decided to go flat out and use words I was hoping it'd understand. "Okay, so…who are you?"

The blue and white dragon smiled at my question. "DemiVeemon's the name, being a Digimon's the game!" it replied gleefully, probably glad that I'd asked.

"Oh great," Koji moaned, casting me a look that clearly said 'I blame you for this', "he can rhyme."

"Yep. I can do a lot of stuff!"

That little voice was starting to get to me already, though he only said two sentences in the last—actually, in his whole life. I was surprised that Koji just didn't drop the thing and walk away. Either he had a lot of patience, or he was too in shock from it hatching right in his hands to move.

"Okay then…can you walk away and never come back?" I questioned, "Like go and find your family or something…?"

DemiVeemon laughed at my question. "But my family's right here! Mommy and Daddy!"

I stopped short and looked at Koji out of the corner of my eye. He was giving me the same, revolted look I was giving him. "Uhh…Koji…_please_ tell me that I just imagined that."

Koji looked like he was going to ask me the same question. "Sorry to be the bearer of bad news."

I wasn't sure about him, but I was flipping out inside, and barely containing myself, making sure it didn't show outside as well. If I had a list of things that I hated, I knew for certain little kids (and in this case, Digimon) would be some of the top things on it. I try to leave things well enough alone, but no, somebody's gotta throw an annoying little brat into the mix. And why does it always get my name wrong?

I sighed in sheer annoyance. "Whatever. Though couldn't you have picked up a better time to pick up the dumb thing?"

"Sure, if you didn't choose a better time to trip over it first."

Throughout our little conversation, DemiVeemon just sat there in Koji's hands, watching us, smiling all the while. Of course he didn't get what we were talking about…well, at least I was hoping that he didn't. But nonetheless, our words didn't seem to have an effect on him, so that had to count for something.

I rubbed my head, and remembering my hat, walked over to it and put it back on. "So what are we going to do with the little _kuso atama_?" I asked, hoping Koji had an idea that concerned getting rid of the little newborn.

DemiVeemon looked at me, curiosity in his eyes. "_Kuso atama_? What does that mean?"

My gaze jolted to Koji. The little idiot just swore without knowing it. And I honestly had no idea how to deal with it. I was hoping that Koji had more experience with little kids than I did.

I tried to ignore the fact the little demon said anything at all. "Hey I got an idea." I lacked all enthusiasm, though my statement caught DemiVeemon's attention. "Why don't we…uh…play a game to see…how long you can sit on that rock? Me and er…Daddy—" I had to literally choke the word out. "—will…walk away. Try and sit there for as long as you can, okay?"

DemiVeemon looked excited. "Okay!" He jumped out of Koji's hands and plopped down on the small rock a few feet away.

"Okay, now you stay _right _there, DemiVeemon." I began to back up slowly until I turned around and just began to walk away.

When we were about a good twenty-five yards away, I mumbled, "Well, I think that went well." I looked back briefly. "He's still sitting there, I think. That blue blob's either him or just a really big blueberry."

Koji smiled at my comment. "You know, you handled that well. Well, maybe not the way you should have, but let bygones be bygones."

I shrugged. "Yeah…how long do you think he'll be sitting there?"

"Until he gets bored probably. But for now we should be concerned about getting to the Forest Terminal. I bet there's a Trailmon around here somewhere." He glanced around the area.

"The trains? Those were Digimon, too?" I thought back on my arrival here. When I remembered the part about falling on top of Koji, I felt my face heat up. "Yeah, if we can find one…well, the Forest Kingdom is where it's located, so we have to find trees, I guess." I tried to remember what direction that Digimon said. "That way…maybe."

Before Koji could yell at me for forgetting, I heard something in the distance. I looked around, seeing a moving object in the distance. "Hey, a Trailmon!"

We began running for the train, trying desperately to get its attention so that we could make our way to Forest Terminal.

But the sound of something following us caught my attention. I stopped briefly, looking back, which made Koji stop as well. "Okay, what is that?" I questioned, watching the swaying grass approaching us.

But then I saw it: a flash of blue

"_Kuso_!" In an instant, I grabbed Koji's wrist and was in a full sprint. "The little beast is following us!" I could see the Trailmon's details coming into focus as we neared it. "Trailmon! Stop!" I yelled, though my voice was strained because I was already exhausted.

Slowly, as we neared, the Trailmon before us decreased its speed. "What do you want?" it questioned, slightly annoyed that it was stopped so abruptly.

"Take us to Forest Terminal." My answer was so short and simple that I wasn't sure that Trailmon heard it. And to be honest, I didn't know where that thing's ears were located. If it had any.

The Trailmon sighed. "Fine, all aboard." It opened its doors and we walked in. We were barely in when the doors closed with a slam. And it took off so fast I thought it was bending space itself.

"Uh, Mirai?" Came Koji's voice.

"Yeah?" I questioned, looking at him.

"Can you let go? You're cutting off circulation in my wrist."

I looked down, seeing Koji's hand was nearly turning purple because of my grasp, I blushed a deep red. My hand dropped down to my side as I walked over to a seat and sat down.

Koji sat down a few feet away from me, keeping his gaze off of me and on the outside world that was flying by just out the window. His eyes held a compassionate softness, but his rough exterior offset it. In a weird, yet dazzling way, it also seemed to compliment it and bring out the best combination of opposites, like Light and Darkness seemingly.

Suddenly, I felt something crawling up to my leg. Out of natural reaction, I screamed and flung it off. But all I saw was one surprised little DemiVeemon. "Hey, what are you doing here?!" I questioned. I instantly remembered the "title" the little dragon gave me, so then added, choking out all of the words that would provide any innocence, "What happened to our game?" I knew things were only get harder from here, since he was now stalking us.

DemiVeemon let out a single, exasperated sigh. "I got bored," he replied simply, like it was a big factor here.

Koji cast me an 'I told you so' smirk. "Oh…" My hopes were given up, so I had to go along with the fact that DemiVeemon was staying.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Soon nightfall came, and we came to a station in the middle of the forest. Assuming it was the Forest Terminal was an easy guess.

The Trailmon slowed to a stop and we got off. Trailmon instantly fell asleep right after saying, "Just call me the naptime express." And immediately started snoring. Who knew a train could do that?

Koji walked over to a nearby bench, yawning and mumbling, "I better catch a snooze, too. This looks like as good as place as any."

I joined him over there and sat down next to him, sighing. "Wow, the night sky in this world is amazing," I gasped, gazing up at the night sky above. Billions of beaconing stars shone brightly, twinkling like tiny fireflies. A song began to ring in my head. _You would not believe your eyes if ten million fireflies lit up the world as I fell asleep…_

"Yeah, this quiet really gives a guy time to think." Koji's eyes reflected on the stars, shining and sparkling. He looked simply astounding at night, though his face held shadows, making him look distant and mysterious.

When morning came, I saw some figures heading into the station. I gave a groan; it was part of Takuya's little posse, but this time only Zoe, JP, and the two Digimon. They stopped to look at a sign and read it. I heard Bokomon say this was Breezy Village. At the remark of saying it wasn't Forest Terminal, I got up.

"Welcome tourists," Koji said rather sarcastically, catching their attention. "So, this isn't it."

"You're right, it's not," Bokomon replied flatly. He seemed unsurprised that he was here. He was wide awake and fully aware, his radish-shaped head looking like he buffed it and was shiny. Weird…

Zoe seemed rather usually happy to see him. "Hey, Koji, what's up?" she greeted with a smile.

Koji ignored her and jumped down to the track. Zoe asked where he was going, to which he answered roughly, "Where I go is my own business. Thanks for asking." He walked away when she began to yell.

She finally noticed me and seemed to lose all her anger that was set off by Koji just a mere few seconds before. "Kazuma, hey!" she yelled. She waved her hand as if her yelling didn't catch my attention.

I looked around, wondering where DemiVeemon went. By no means, I didn't miss him, but it was strange that I didn't see him around. I shrugged, assuming the little blue dragon was with Koji.

While all this was running through my head, my silence managed to get Zoe angry, though it wasn't hard, since Koji already put her in a bad mood. I ignored her as I walked away, trying to catch up with Koji.

I caught up with him a few minutes later. I heard my D-Tector make noise, and I pulled it out.

"Is this a Spirit?" Koji questioned, already having his D-Tector out. But immediately, he eyes shifted off of the device in his hand to the nearby bushes. I then heard the same thing he probably did: voices.

"Ha! Some strangers are in the village, eh? That's trouble."

"They're human children!"

"Do you think those whiny wildflowers called them in to come and help?

"Who cares? No one can stop the Mushroomon Brothers! We'll get them!"

"Right!"

I glanced at Koji, who had a wary look on his face. Something wasn't right here. "We should head back," Koji advised. "Sounds to me like they're going to destroy the village."

I nodded. "Yeah…but wait, where's DemiVeemon?" I questioned, not seeing him around.

"You lost him?!"

"Hey, it's not my fault!" I glanced around, noting that nothing had been going my way for the last couple of days. "Fine, you help the village, I'll find that _kuso atama_. I'll catch up to you as soon as I can."

He nodded, taking off back the direct we came. I sighed. Knowing DemiVeemon, he could be anywhere. Well, anywhere but here.

I began my search, calling out DemiVeemon's name. It didn't really help that its name was so frickin' long. It took like five minutes just to get out one syllable. "C'mon, DemiVeemon, come out! Please!"

The forest grew thinner as I went on. My voice grew hoarse the more I said DemiVeemon's name. I considered giving up right then and there. At least the dumb thing was gone, so therefore, no more annoying voices ringing in my ears. Oh wait, there was still Takuya.

"Okay, I'm just heading back to Breezy Village then," I mumbled, turning around. If DemiVeemon didn't show up, well then whoop dee frickin' do.

"Wait, Kaz, stop!"

I stopped, hearing the nickname I was given. I turned, though I was beginning to wish that I hadn't. _Kuso_. Why was it always me that ran into these people? Why can't they be off somewhere that I'm not for once? Why couldn't they go and get their heads stuck in something, like a hole in a tree or something?

Takuya and Tommy ran up to me, panting. "Hey, Kaz—oh you don't mind the nickname, do you?" I just stared at Takuya as he blabbed on and on like the complete idiot he was. "Well, I just wanted to apologize for the other day. We both said some stuff—well, you actually didn't say anything, but…well, I overreacted and I hope we can forgive each other and move on." He held out his hand for me to shake.

I turned away, as always, annoyed with his presence. Because whenever he was around, bad luck was sure to follow. It was like a strange form of karma. "Whatever," I mumbled, continuing walking.

"Ha! I got 'em to speak! That's a start!" Takuya was overenthusiastic with that single feat that he accomplished. Though really, I wouldn't really consider it an accomplishment.

I rolled my eyes, ignoring the discussion going on between him and Tommy. If they were actually going to tag along with me, this would get quite annoying. Either I'd have to deal with it, or find some way of ditching them. I preferred and was used to being alone, so it had become second nature to me. I wasn't just about to go and abandon the ways I've lived by so long.

"Are you guys seriously going to follow me?" I snapped, though my voice was rather quiet. My tone didn't really present the excitement it could have if I was glad they were around; moreover, it held the annoyances of two kids following me like my own shadow.

The boys behind me were surprised by my sudden question. It obviously didn't occur to them that'd I'd speak just out of the blue like I did. They most likely assumed that I was more of the quiet type.

"We just want to get back to our friends," Tommy answered innocently, as if he was just about to start crying. Honestly, I didn't doubt that he wouldn't. He was just a little kid. I didn't see why he should even be here.

"Yeah, and you're just going to have to deal with it, buddy." Takuya smiled and put his hand on my shoulder.

At that action, I froze. No one touches me. "Let. Go." I growled, my mood suddenly set from annoyed to just plain angry. And contact with other people was usually what did that.

He was startled by my demand and so he let his hand fall to his side. He cast me an offended glance. "You don't have to be rude, you know."

I scoffed at his remark. I wasn't the one that made me this way. It was all those around me. The world was a brutal place, and he just had to learn that. It wasn't all sunshine and happiness. No, there was darkness and hatred, as well.

We walked back to Breezy Village, and almost immediately, I noticed that Koji was already gone. I knew that he'd be okay on his own; he was a very collected person, always thinking before acting. And for his occasional arrogance, well, that was just a necessity for life.

But it was DemiVeemon that wouldn't be okay.

"We have returned!" Takuya declared, walking up to JP and Zoe in almost a marching-like manner. But then as he neared, it just turned into a flat-out run. The _kuso atama_…

Zoe seemed to be a little annoyed. "You blew it! Where were you two?!" she demanded, obviously upset about something.

Takuya grinned cheesily, rubbing the back of his hat-covered head. "Hehe, that's quite a story. Well, after a while, we thought that you might need us and decided to check back in." Dumb excuse.

Zoe didn't seem to buy it. "No, you made a wrong turn and missed a once in a lifetime show!" She smiled, happy about something.

"Yeah, right. Don't try to psyche us out, Zoe. You know that we didn't miss a thing." He let out a chuckle.

"Well, you didn't get to see me Spirit Evolve."

A fight soon arose after that and I just walked by. Since Koji wasn't here, there really wasn't much of a reason for me to hang around here with Takuya and his pathetic little group. Either way, flowers weren't exactly my thing.

I began to walk away, when I was confronted by Bokomon. "My dear boy, Kazuma." I was betting he made certain this time that he said boy. "May I ask if you have acquired your Spirit and evolved into one of Legendary Warriors?"

I wasn't really sure whether to truthfully answer him or not. If I risked telling him, he may figure out that I'm a girl and then soon, everyone will know. So I merely stayed silent and began to walk away, pulling my D-Tector out and looking down at the little screen.

I wondered when it was my turn to fight. I was curious to know just what I could do as Gryphanimon. Even then, even though I merely had the D-Tector in my hands, I could feel the Spirit of Time pulsing through me. It was like a part of me I never knew I could exist without, because it just felt so right.

The temptation got to me. As soon I was out of sight of Takuya's group, into the thick forest, I held up my D-Tector. "Execute! Spirit Evolution!" I felt the change, the feeling I had when I had evolved the first time. I felt the power. "Gryphanimon!"

I admired myself a little. I was finally the taller one out of me and Yukio. I noticed the unique plate-like shields on my arms. They protected my hands from any damage and I saw a little hatch-like part. The new instinct that I had when I Spirit Evolved told me they were used for a Tempest Arrow attack.

"I should find Koji…" I mumbled, taking to the air as if I had been flying all my life. It was actually a great feeling to be in the sky, the wind blowing, its temperature bothering me less than it would have as a human, and just the overall view was beautiful.

I would have paid money to be able to fly in the real world, but even so, I knew that it wouldn't be as great as the Digital World. Everything was just so fresh and downright mystical here.

I spotted a small figure walking far below me. I had surprisingly powerful vision, vision of a hawk so to say. Well, since all the creatures were different here, I assumed it would be a Hawkmon instead.

Realizing the figure was indeed Koji, I dove down, quickly at first, but then after time, slowing enough that it was like I was just floating down as daintily as a feather. I floated down feet first, landing a mere five feet in front of Koji.

When he pulled out his D-Tector, I shook my head, saying, "Koji, it's me." I felt the data swirl around me as I turned back into my human form. I put my D-Tector back into my pocket.

"Since when could you Spirit Evolve?" he questioned which made me realize that I never told him that I had the ability to do so.

"Since I found the Spirit of Time in a tree that I accidentally killed in the Village of Flame the day we got here," I replied simply. I never mentioned my own encounter with the white round dudes with wings…or ears…whatever those were.

He seemed surprised that I found my Spirit before he did. And quite frankly, I was too. Or maybe he was just looking at me weird because I mentioned that I killed a tree in a place that's supposed to not have any trees at all.

"But I take it that you didn't find DemiVeemon?" he questioned, eying me. He didn't seem worried or concerned for the little demon, just seemingly taking note of his absence.

I shook my head. "How'd you guess?" My sarcasm didn't really seem to affect him, though I expected that much.

"You seemed down." He shrugged at his own response. "I thought maybe you missed him."

"What?! I'm _glad _that that little _kuso atama _is gone!" I clenched my fists down at my side. "That little voice always whining was so annoying!"

Koji smirked cunningly. "You were the one to go look for him. C'mon there's no shame in admitting that you miss the little guy. You wish he was here, isn't that right—" His face got a few inches from mine. "—Mommy?"

I shoved him away as he just merely laughed to himself quietly. I could feel my face heating up a deep raspberry color. I didn't look at him, feeling rather humiliated, when I spoke, "You…suck."

Even through my craving of beating on Koji, other thoughts clouded my mind. I never really saw that side of him before, even though I only knew him for a few days. He seemed more of the composed, quiet types, just as I was. I couldn't help but think there was a story—a history behind this. He had his past and I had mine, but we both had the same, cold result.

But something told me—maybe it was my Spirit—that a lot of changes were going to occur here in the Digital World, maybe change my outlook on life. I wasn't really sure if I wanted that. I didn't want to let anyone inside, but even right when I got here, it happened. I met Koji and since then, things didn't seem so horrible.

Maybe it was just him. Because when he wasn't around, my changes weren't noticeable. I was just a foolish kid that stole something from her brother, a destiny that was rightfully his. Maybe this was just all a warning that I shouldn't be here. Maybe I should leave while I still have a chance…


	6. Chapter 5

**Okay, again thanks to all you who read and review my stories, it means a lot to me. Well, anyway, i'm trying to make my chapters a bit longer than they currently are (roughly four pages per chapter on Microsoft Word), so if a chapter is over twice the size of the one before it, you'll know why. (okay, i'm babbling now...) uh, oh yeah, this is the point where the plot develops a bit more and all of Mirai's issues are being revealed steadily and all that crap. well, anyway, enjoy!**

Chapter 5

_Nobody wants you…you're all alone here, in this world and the real world…you think you can just run away from your problems, that you can just forget your past, telling yourself it's because that it's because of others that you're alone…you can put up barriers between you and them all you want, because they'll never care about you either way…Face the truth, Mirai, you can never find true happiness alone. I can help you…_

I jolted myself awake, panting and sweat running down my face mixed with tears. I didn't know why I was crying, it was only a nightmare. There was nothing to be afraid of. But still…

I looked over at Koji's dark figure about seven feet away. Even this far away, I could see him as he breathed in and out. Although his face was clouded with shadows and darkness, I could see a contented look on it. He looked so at peace when he was asleep, I could've just hugged him.

I surprised myself at the thought. I really was in a different world. I wasn't very sure of many things in my life, but I knew one thing for certain: that was really weird. And also very unlike me.

I glanced over at the fire Koji built last night. It had died out earlier in the night, but most likely not that long ago, since some of the charred wood glowed a light orange. Though it hardly provided any light whatsoever, I could see well enough for my contentment.

I picked up a stick and dug into the soil. It was fairly soft, so I could see my marks with outmost clarity. I carved the numbers one through five all in a vertical line and began my list of things I'm sure of in life:

1. Koji brings change (exactly why did I put this at the top of the list?!)

2. I'm going to die in this world (at this rate, most definitely)

3. Never underestimate round things with wings (they try to burn you at the stake)

4. Things that rhyme are bad news (I speak from experience…)

5. I'm going utterly insane

"Most kids your age don't play in the dirt, you know."

I turned, seeing Koji crouching by the fire, stacking more wood on and getting it restarted. His shadowy eyes were on me for a split-second, but then back to his work. I hadn't heard him get up, so his voice surprised me.

I cast him a 'yeah thanks for the info' glance that I was sure that he saw. "I'm making a list," I said, immediately regretting I said so since I then realized I put his name on it.

He didn't really seem curious about it. "Normal people sleep this time of night, I hope you're aware." He blew at the small orange cinders and a small flame appeared within the kindling.

I turned away from him, to the dark, mysterious forest that surrounded us from all sides. "Couldn't sleep," I replied quickly, thinking about the voice in my dream, how it seemed to know me all so well.

To this he said nothing, so I just continued with just some ramblings that were on my mind, "Ya know, I really love it here in the Digital World. It's much better here than back home in Shibuya…" My mind instantly traced back to Yukio, who was probably at home snoring his head off.

This seemed to catch Koji's attention. "How so?" His eyes reflected on the blaze before him, adding secrecy and spirit into his gaze.

I kept my stare into my lap. I'd let him into a place he wasn't supposed to go. Into my heart. My mind. My soul. "I never told anyone this before, but…I hated my life back home. I never had any friends, everyone rejected me. And my brother…" I paused, about to enter where most of my anger lied. "He always got everything. I've always felt like the unloved youngest child. That's why I came here. To get away from it all." I stopped, glancing at Koji. "Here… it's so peaceful and tranquil. It's like it's a sin to worry about things here, since it's just so perfect. Here…" I halted myself from going any further, from blurting out what I was going to say.

I then recalled what Bokomon said to me a few days back so I continued on, "And now some evil guy's trying to destroy it. Anyone with that much _kuso _in their head must go down."

Koji smiled at my last comment. That, I'm sure he was aware by now, was so like me. Anything having to do with kicking the _kuso _out of something. Or just talking about how much _kuso _someone had kicked out of them previously.

"When the time comes that we can leave, will you?" he questioned suddenly, looking right into my eyes.

I didn't answer for a moment, averting my gaze into the fire, listening to it pop and crackle. "That's my problem. I don't know."

"I'm sure you're family's worried about you. They'll be overjoyed when you come back." Koji gave me an honest look, showing that's what he really thought.

_No, they won't. They don't care about me…_My stare went from the flames to Koji's eyes, trying to transmit my thoughts without having to say them. I wanted him to understand without me having to use words. I was never good at speaking my mind.

I pulled my knees close to me and rested my chin on them, feeling rather miserable. "I guess…"

I jumped to my feet instantly, hearing rustling in the bushes. I pulled out my D-Tector, and glanced at Koji, seeing that he already did the same. This may be my chance to see what Gryphanimon can do…

But instead of an enemy I could kick the _kuso_ out of, out of the bushes came an all too familiar face. He greeted us will a wide smile. "Mommy! Daddy!" And just when I thought it was the end of the titles.

I was first to speak. "DemiVeemon!" I nailed him with my D-Tector. "Where have you been?!" I suddenly got an idea of a little payback I could give Koji for mocking me the day before. "Daddy's been worried sick, so why don't you give him a big hug?"

"Okay!" DemiVeemon's smile grew just about a mile wider than before as he lunged at Koji. Almost instantly, clamping onto his arm was a Digimon with the grasp of a steel trap.

Koji tried to pry the little creature off, but DemiVeemon stuck fast. Then, in an effort to fling him off, he began flailing his arm. "Come on, get off! Let go, DemiVeemon!" He glared daggers at me, obviously (and for good reason) blaming this on me. Well, that was good. I wanted the blame anyway.

I didn't remember falling back asleep, but at least I had the satisfaction of a nice nightmare-free rest. And when I awoke, I found even more satisfaction in what I saw. Not enough that I'd let out a smile, but just something I couldn't let Koji forget.

It was too bad that I didn't have Yukio's phone to take a picture of it. It was so great it was almost wrong. Everything that provided this almost warm feeling had to be illegal, but to an extent, it wasn't.

If DemiVeemon sleeping on Koji's chest was illegal, I wouldn't have tried or wanted to stop it anyway. Even I had to admit, it was an adorable scene. They were both zonked out completely, even though I would have assumed that the morning light would have awakened Koji already. But I didn't care so much, since if he was awake I wouldn't have been able to see this.

Trying to stay quiet, I stood up slowly. I put on my hat, walking over to the fire which seemed to have gone out again. Poking at the charred with a stick, I didn't bother trying to restart it.

A few feet away, I saw my list that I had written the night before. I kicked the dirt, removing my marks. No one else needed to see my thoughts, nor would I _let_ anyone see them. The only ones I'd ever let into my mind are those who I trust. And I don't offer my trust to many.

I began mumbling the lyrics to a song that I couldn't remember the name of while at the same time, carving them into the ground, "One of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right. I'm tripping on words, you've got my head spinning; I don't know where to go from here…" My singing turned into just humming of the melody as I heard Koji stir.

I glanced over at where he was lying. I saw his eyes open slowly, and when he realized what was on him, he remained rather calm. In one small, easy motion of his arm, he whacked DemiVeemon off of him and onto the ground.

He stood up and stretched slightly, flexing his arms. He glanced over to the fire and saw it went dead, but made no effort to bring it back to life. Instead, he merely tied his bandana back onto its normal place on his head and shook his bangs into place at the sides of his face. And he couldn't have looked any better doing so.

"Ow! This ground is hard!"

I glanced at DemiVeemon, who was sitting jumbled up where Koji once lied. Somehow, by some irregular chance, he got tangled up in a few long blades of grass and was stuck fast. I wasn't planning on helping him, and by the look on Koji's face, I didn't think he was either.

I began to walk away. "You're just gonna have to figure out a way to get yourself outta there, DemiVeemon. We're not gonna help ya," I stated, turning back slightly to see his reaction to my words.

His large, burgundy-colored eyes grew teary and increased at least double in size. His little mouth was curved downward as a tiny frown as his lower little trembled. And that's when he began to wail. No, it was more than a wail. Moreover, it sounded like a cat was being strangled.

I glanced at Koji, who shrugged, clearly annoyed with the little blue dragon's display of feeble actions. I wasn't too thrilled either, but honestly, I didn't know what to do. I had little to no experience with little kids and this wasn't exactly the time I wanted to start, either. But I couldn't just leave the pathetic, little runt there either, where his deafening cries could be heard back in Japan.

Not really in the mood to have a headache from cries that could be prevented, I walked back over to DemiVeemon. He shut up when he noticed I was approaching. I crouched down before him before untangling him from the few strands of grass that held him down.

"You're going to spoil him and he's never going to leave," Koji mumbled in irritation to my mercy.

"We'll deal with that problem when it presents itself," I answered simply as DemiVeemon clung onto me and asked for a piggyback ride. "Uh, no." I flung him off with the flick of my wrist. "You're walking."

He walked over to Koji with his large, tear-stained eyes. He looked up at the Warrior of Light with the saddest face he could conjure up. "Daddy?"

"Nope." He began walking away.

I followed right behind him with DemiVeemon tailing behind. There was peace for now, but it wasn't exactly difficult to assume that it was only short-lasted and before I'd know it, there would be some _kuso _kicking to be done.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Okay, do I really want to know how you got way the heck up there?!" I looked up at DemiVeemon, who was sitting up at a high ledge, smiling his frickin' head off. I could've sworn he climbed way the hell up here just to piss me and Koji off. And I wouldn't have doubted it, either.

"I climbed!" came the little dragon's response. I just wanted to strangle him right then and there. But then again, I might risk falling.

I glanced down briefly, only to get a chill down my spine and press myself tight against the side of KaratsukiNumemon Mountain. It was hundreds of feet to the bottom, and there was only the tiny shelf about a foot wide holding me up. I didn't exactly feel like falling to my doom today.

"Well, that wasn't obvious…" I heard Koji mumble from about three feet away. He was, as I had noticed, much better of a climber than I was. Well, it was Koji after all, I couldn't exactly expect less.

Suddenly, we heard cries for help coming from a little farther up, inside a cave. I watched as Koji climbed up to the ledge quickly and skillfully pulling himself up. I began after him, using small footholds to hold on. After climbing only a few short feet up, I ran out of places to step on and grab.

I tried jumping up to the ledge and got a firm hold on it, my fingers digging into the shelf. But I was soon presented with a slight problem: I lacked the upper body strength to pull myself up.

Koji extended his hand down to me, giving me a slight smile. I took his hand and he pulled me up as if I weighed almost nothing. A few feet from the ledge, I looked down. If I was alone, I know I would have fallen.

Koji walked farther into the cave. "Hello?"

I saw some snail-like Digimon in a jail cell. At the sound of Koji's voice, they looked up, seemingly having a little bit of hope put into them. But even with our arrival, they seemed quite downcast concerning their current situation.

"What? Heroes?" The one on the far left gazed at us.

"Please, please, please! You must release us!" cried the one in the middle as Koji and I approached the cell.

"You'll scare them off! Don't be so pushy!" yelled another.

Koji tried the large lock on the cell. It seemed rather sturdy, and unfortunately, we didn't really have anything to pick it open with. Since I wasn't what you'd call a girly girl, I didn't have much reason to have a hair clip or anything.

DemiVeemon hopped onto my shoulder, though I didn't really try to stop him, since I was too busy trying to figure out a way to free the snail Digimon. I noticed a fairly good sided rock that probably could do some damage to the lock.

Koji had the same idea I did. He picked up the rock and started banging it against the lock. At the same time, I heard someone approaching, and spun around. But I was too late in noticing.

The figure grabbed both me and Koji and cast us off the mountain. I could feel the air moving swiftly around me and I could hear myself yelling uncontrollably. I could feel my heart beating nearly out of my chest, but what I didn't feel was the landing.

* * *

"_Nii-san…"_

"_Yes, Little Sis, what is it?" _

"_Yukio's been picking on me again! Can you make him stop?"_

"_Sure, Mirai, I'll just talk with him."_

"_Thanks, Koichi!"_

I lurched forward, suddenly awake. I looked around, wondering how long I was unconscious. I noticed around me a stone building, pretty much everything being made out of either stone or wood. And then I noticed that I was lying on the wall…?

Koji approached me with a cup of water in his hands. He handed it to me, asking, "How you feeling?"

I took a sip of the cold water, feeling strength coming back into me. "Okay, I guess…Here's a question I never thought I'd ever ask: Why are we sitting on a wall? And why is the floor where the wall's supposed to be?"

Koji chuckled at my confusion. "We're in a KaratsukiNumemon's house, which is built into the side of the mountain. The KaratsukiNumemon are the Digimon that helped us."

I said nothing in response to this, leaning my back against the wall—er, floor. I was thinking about my dream. _How did I remember Koichi after all this time? Did the fall bring back some of my memories of him? Man, I don't remember…what happened to him anyway? Why can't I remember?_

Koji noticed my silence. "Anything wrong?" he questioned, sitting down next to me. His blue eyes showed a deep amount of concern that I never really noticed before. It may have been just my ignorance, however.

I didn't really feel like trying to explain something I hardly remembered, so I shook my head. "No, there's nothing wrong. Why would there be anything wrong?" I knew that he could see right through my façade.

"'Cause isn't there always something wrong in this world?" He gave me a look that said 'I'm not much of a moron, I hope you know'.

I shrugged, knowing full well that there's always something bad happening in the Digital World. "Good point…but rather…it's a personal matter, so I'd prefer to not say." I was hoping he'd understand and just forget about it. There wasn't much that I'd absolutely refuse to tell Koji, but this was one of those things.

He nodded, "Well, if there's anything you wanna say, I'm here." He got up and walked into another room. I was thankful that he was giving me my desired space. I was glad that he was one of those people that were there only if you wanted them to be. That was one of the many physiques I liked about him, but really, there wasn't much I _didn't _like about him.

Holding the cup in my hands, I stared down at my reflection in the water. There wasn't really much too different about me, except for my eyes. Their natural color was a violet color, but quite frequently, usually depending on my current emotion, they'd change color. I noticed that usually when Koji was around, they'd retain a cerulean blue color. When I was angry, they'd be amber red. Only when I was content would they be their normal purple.

I tried standing up, but found my legs weak and hard to keep my balance. I felt a dizzying rush go to my head from either hitting it on the landing or the high altitude or maybe just a combination of the both.

Putting my hands against the wall—er, floor for support, I made my way to the room that Koji had walked into. If I wanted to keep my strength, I'd have to walk off the pain, no excuses for slacking off. I was a Legendary Warrior; I couldn't let some leg pains get me down for the count.

When I entered the room, Koji gestured for me to stay quiet. He had a stick in his hand and was in a defensive position, ready to use it if necessary. Almost immediately, I could hear voices approaching.

"You're almost there…"

"That's great!"

Though the owner of the voice wasn't so great. I recognized it immediately and soon saw his goggle-wearing head peeping through door. He grinned, having finally made it "Yes!" He almost fell through when he got a swift blow to the face with Koji's stick. I had to admit, he had that coming for a long time.

He looked at Koji in surprise. "Hey, you're here?"

Koji returned the glance. "You're the people these guys found to help out?" He seemed more annoyed than surprised. As was I, but I didn't think that Takuya even knew I was there.

The rest of his posse peeked through the door at Koji. They all wore the same expressions that Takuya had. Well, that wasn't exactly surprising. They were all under the same demeanor. The demeanor of _kuso atama_. Which reminds me…

"Koji?" came JP's voice from their group. I didn't feel like trying to locate him out of the group of heads poking in the door.

"Yeah, none of us could find any food either," Takuya said rather bitterly, as if that was the reason Koji was there as well. Yeah, he fell off a mountain to find some food. That was real logical.

"Hey, don't block me in with you guys!" he snapped before turning to the KaratsukiNumemon. "These kids aren't going to be able to help you out at all."

"I'll help you right upside the head!" Takuya yelled, glaring daggers at the Warrior of Light.

"Well at least give us a chance," Tommy said.

Koji grasped the stick with both hands, turning away from the pathetic, little group. "Thanks but no thanks. I mean, look at you. The only thing you guys will do is get in my way."

I crossed my arms, watching the on-going conversation before me. I had to side with Koji. Takuya and his little group didn't make very good Legendary Warriors. Why they got Spirits is something I probably could never figure out.

Koji turned back to the group. "Can I help it that you're not up to my level?" I could tell that he was by no means bragging or insulting them purposely. What he said was flat-out truth.

Takuya was immediately angry at him for the remark. "Watch it, Stick Boy, or I'll—"

The leader KaratsukiNumemon, which could be identified with the mustache, cut him off, approaching them. "Gentlemen, please!" He gave a small bow before continuing, "My thanks to all of you for coming to help! And now, it's time to eat!"

That seemed to trigger an excitement in Takuya's group, because a simultaneous "Alright! Time to chow down" arose, causing a moment's distraction and making them fall on the floor—er, wall.

The food presented by the KaratsukiNumemon looked nothing more than different-colored cabbages, or as JP called it, 'rabbit food'. As they stared at it, I made my way toward Koji, who was off in the corner, eating by himself.

Still feeling the aches in my legs, I walked over, sliding my hands over the stone walls for assurance. I, quite notably, was famished and since I hadn't eaten for a long while, was willing to eat this 'rabbit food' provided. It was better than nothing and I didn't really see why or how they could be so picky over things that'd help them actually survive in this world. Because last time I checked, there was no Wal-Mart that they could go gallivanting off to and buy food to their heart's content.

"Hey, Kaz!" Takuya shouted, finally noticing my presence. He soon noticed my walking problem. "What happened to you, buddy?"

I ignored him and sat down by Koji, who handed me one of the discolored cabbages. I took a bite of one, and expecting to taste the rather bland vegetable, I was confronted with the taste of a hamburger. Weird…

"You actually agreed to let them help us?" I paused, actually having no idea what Takuya and his little gang are helping us with. "Um…with what exactly? I must've missed that slight detail."

Koji gave me a look of complete seriousness, though he didn't look so serious, since he was holding a cabbage in his hands and that presented a slightly unusual scene, since I never envisioned him holding a cabbage while speaking of an important matter. "Grumblemon, an evil Digimon, has taken the female KaratsukiNumemon hostage in exchange for the mountain's Fractal Code. So it's our job to save the women."

I nodded, realizing that it was indeed Grumblemon who captured the Digimon that were in that jail cell and then threw us off the mountain. "You should know good and well that I'm in. Even if it means working with—_Itai_!" I felt something hard hit my back. "_Nani yo_?!"

Immediately, I came face to face with none other than DemiVeemon, who was now practically attached to my arm and smiling his frickin' head nearly clear off. It kinda startled me, how he just pretty much appeared out of nowhere and blurted out the words, "Mommy! Daddy!"

At that, everyone in the room turned and looked at me and Koji, confused and stunned looks on their faces. It was completely silent for a few moments and then Takuya and his little posse roared into laughter.

Koji and I looked at each other, blushing like mad for very obvious reasons. I was just a stone-throw away from getting up and taking care of the pathetic, little group by myself with my bare hands. And I would have too, if I didn't have better control over myself and my temper.

And obviously, DemiVeemon had no idea what the heck was going on. He just sat there, clinging to my arm, looking back and forth between me and Takuya's group. He most likely didn't suspect that it was his doing that I was just about at the neck of my enemies.

Takuya had tears in his eyes he was laughing so hard. He pointed to me, saying, "Let me guess! Let me guess! You're the mommy, right?" He honestly didn't have a clue who he was dealing with.

That little remark set me off. I was on my feet, ignoring my pain, and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, lifting him off the ground. I glared at him, growling, "You say that again, Kanbara, I dare you…" I actually wanted him to say it, just so I'd have a good excuse to beat all of my stored anger out on him. And even though he might not have been aware of it, I've been angry at him for a long time.

Again, Zoe was the one to try to make peace between us. "Kaz, save your energy for Grumblemon! There's no reason to fight your own friend!" she scolded. But she didn't know that I felt she was wrong with that statement.

I tossed Takuya to the ground. "_Damare Konoyarou_!He's _not _my friend. So just leave me alone." I walked slowly out of the room, rage filling me. Not only did I have to stop beating up on someone that I hated, I also had to deal with an insult _because _I couldn't beat up on them.

I walked back into the room I awoke in earlier, while listening in on the conversation going on in the other room. The leader KaratsukiNumemon was explaining how me and Koji got there, saying that we fell from the sky. Yeah, like that was rational. From there, I heard plans of rescue being made.

I considered going in there to contribute to the plan, since by that time I already had cooled down from my confrontation with Takuya. But instead, I laid down, trying to get some sleep. If they absolutely needed my help, then they knew where to find me. The best thing; however, was to conserve my strength until the most dire of moments. That, I remembered, is what Koichi would have told me.

* * *

**Heh, confused yet? Figured as much. Thing'll get clearer as the story progresses, and just for curiousity you may or may not have, I'll eventually post all of the names of the songs that are mentioned in the story (eventually is a key word here) and also the meanings of the Japanese words (the reason I use so many is just incase people don't want to read all of the swearing. i'm trying to be respectful of that). **


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I opened my eyes slowly, feeling all the blood rushing to my feet. I looked down to see the reason why, but almost immediately, I regretted doing so. I heard everyone around me freaking out, since they too had realized that we were suspended on KaratsukiNumemon Mountain, dangling hundreds of feet from the bottom. Yeah, I had to admit, this was quite a dilemma.

"Takuya! What did you do this time?!" I yelled, instantly getting the notion that he had something to do with the fact that there were only ropes keeping us from falling to our death.

"Me?! Why are you blaming me?! Can't you see that I'm tied up too?!" he retaliated back, his voice revealing that he was on the edge of insanity…well, if he wasn't there already.

We glared up at the KaratsukiNumemon, who were above us, about to cut the ropes with machetes. "What are you doing?!" Koji snapped.

"We'll give you back to your partner, in exchange for our women!" the leader KaratsukiNumemon replied, glowering down at us.

"You dirty sneaks! Is that why you brought us here?!" Takuya questioned. I nearly burst out laughing, the word 'sneaks' taking me by surprise. I didn't really think of all things he was going to say that.

The leader shook his head. "No, I think it is _you _who are the dirty sneaks! Pretending to be caring, helpful strangers, when really you're Legendary Warriors!"

Zoe seemed to be more freaked out than pretty much everyone else. "I don't understand! What's wrong with that?!"

"The time for your games and lies is over! Soon you'll be back with your ally."

"Ally? What are you talking about?!" Koji asked, anger coursing through his voice.

"Don't play dumb. We know you're all in league with Grumblemon!"

Everyone began to panic at this while I just hung there, mumbling, "Well, this can't be good…"

"Is it ever?" DemiVeemon popped out from in my sweatshirt, where apparently he was hiding from the KaratsukiNumemon. Well, I couldn't say that I saw that one coming.

"DemiVeemon? How did you—? Never mind. Help get us out of here."

"Never fear, for Demi is here!" Apparently, he had given himself a nickname. Or he forgot what the rest of his name was, since it was so frickin' long. Eh, I couldn't blame the _kuso atama_.

Right at that moment, part of the mountain wall exploded, opening up a cave. A voice emerged from it, echoing out and actually having a conversation with Takuya. Then a figure walked out, a gnome-like Digimon with a fairly hulking nose, with a shape that reminded me of that of a gourd and the symbol on his chest that showed he was a Legendary Warrior himself.

As he emerged he introduced himself as none other than the Grumblemon I seemed to have heard no end about. His name kinda annoyed me and made me just want to pop him in the nose.

"C'mon, Demi, hurry it up…" I mumbled, looking up at the KaratsukiNumemon, who were cutting the ropes with blades. I knew he had to get me untied before they cut them completely.

"Hehe! Got it!" came Demi's voice from behind me. "Demi will be hero!" I heard a snapping noise, which made me assume that he was biting the ropes with his teeth. Well, if it works…

I felt the rope loosen and I lifted my hand up and grabbed the rope tightly as the rest of the rope unwound around me. With my free hand, I pulled out my D-Tector, ready to Spirit Evolve.

But right when I was about to do so, Grumblemon pulled a large mallet out of the ground (WTF?!) and swung it in our direction. Since we were kinda stuck, there wasn't really much dodging that we could manage.

I swung in a swaying, pendulum-like motion, but in the process, I lost my grip on my D-Tector and it went flying onto the ledge Grumblemon was standing on. It slid right under his feet. Grreeaat, now if he farts, it'll explode…

Grumblemon picked it up and looked at it in curiosity. "Hmm, what this thing? Grumblemon no like human-thing."

I gritted my teeth in an instant frustration. "Give that back, you bad excuse for a garden gnome!" I jumped from the rope to the same ledge. I tried swiping back my D-Tector, but his grip stayed tight. So with my free hand, I popped him in the nose. He recoiled back and my D-Tector was safe in my hands.

He cast me a fierce glare, at which voices behind me told me to get away. I tried stepping back, but barely caught myself from falling off the ledge to my death. I considered the idea of taking everyone's advice and getting away…but where to? There weren't exactly a lot of places to run to.

"Grumblemon! Slide Evolution!" Suddenly, Grumblemon was cocooned in data and in a few moments, a new not-so-gnome-looking Digimon appeared. The downside was that this one was much, much taller. "Gigasmon!"

"Uh, is it just me or did Grumblemon just have a really big growth spurt…and suddenly become nude?" My second realization freaked me out more than the first…it kinda reminded me of the Ancient Olympics of Greece…

"You foolish human! You pay for deed!" Gigasmon swung his arm at me in a sweeping-like motion and the force hurled me against the side of the mountain. I felt the pointed stones and jagged ridges digging into my skin. I could taste the saltiness of blood in my mouth, and lots of places on me were burning with pain.

He grabbed me in his hands, tight enough that I could feel my bones being crushed and all of the oxygen being drained from me. No, he wasn't going to kill me…well, not _yet_ anyway. That would be no fun. He'll let me suffer; watch the blood being drained out of my wounds. Because what Digimon didn't have was blood; instead, they had data.

I let out a scream that I couldn't hold back. Though I'm sure that added to Gigasmon's sick enjoyment. Though I tried to shut myself up; I didn't want him to have that vulgar satisfaction of hearing me express my pain.

"Howling Laser!"

I was suddenly released from Gigasmon's grasp, and the evil Legendary Warrior was sent flying back. I collapsed to my knees, catching my breath and spitting out a mouthful of crimson blood. I couldn't get back onto my feet, having been drained of both my energy and my pride.

Koji, now as the always-valiant Lobomon, appeared at my side. "Are you all right, Mirai?" He put his hand on my back, but I said tried saying nothing about how pain much came from that single, little touch.

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, just a bit…stunned." I staggered to my feet, soreness taking over my body like needles pricking every inch of my skin and a dizzying, spinning feeling filling my head. I felt like I would collapse at any moment, which truthfully, I had no doubts that I wouldn't.

I gripped the side of the mountain, keeping my gaze upon Lobomon, my vision growing slowly blurrier and blurrier. That wasn't really what I'd call a good sign. "You go and kick that freaky gnome's sorry butt, I'll catch up. I just have to…uh, catch my breath quick."

He nodded to me, though his eyes held a look that clearly said, 'you should stay out of this fight'. He leapt up to a KaratsukiNumemon's house, where Agunimon was fighting Gigasmon. Also, another Digimon that I assumed to be JP's Spirit, was fighting. It looked like a giant bug, moreover, a beetle. I wondered where Zoe and Tommy had gone; because by now, they should have had Spirits...I would hope.

By this time, a drenching rain began to pour. Waves of water began to crash down the sides of the mountain, cascading like a waterfall, and with no doubt, I knew it definitely had the strength of one, too. It made it harder to stand, the ledges collecting puddles of water and becoming ice-slick.

Two Digimon, a butterfly…fairy-thing (who I assumed was Zoe) and a little polar bear (which I assumed was Tommy), emerged from a higher cave, all of the female KaratsukiNumemon coming out before them and reuniting with the others of their kind. Well, one way or another, mission accomplished.

My grip on the edge of the mountain became a much firmer one, though by the time my guard was up, it was too late. The beetle Digimon used a Thunder Fist on the mountain, and rocks and dirt came surging down. I stepped back to get out of their path, but in the process, slipped off the ledge. I grabbed onto it with all of the strength I had, though it was barely worth it, since it was so wet and slippery.

A hand was extended out to me and I looked back carefully, so I wouldn't lose my grip even a little. I scowled before saying, "I don't need your help, Takuya." When worse comes to worst, even then I kept up my rather stubborn nature.

Agunimon sighed, still having his hand out to me. "You actually kinda do, Kaz. So take my hand." And when worse comes to worst, he still had his all annoying persistence.

I exhaled in aggravation before reaching over with one hand and putting it into his. It was warm with the heat of his element, and I couldn't deny that it was at least a little comforting, since I was freezing from the cold rain. This was the point of which I actually realized that I was shivering.

He pulled me onto the rope ladder that he, Lobomon, and the polar bear guy were hanging onto. It gave me a better grip than on the ledge, but it also gave me more of the feeling that I was suspended and going to fall.

"Hey, what's that?!"

Before us, where the beetle dude unleashed his attack, exposed were large blue streams of data. They seemed to be running under the outer surface of the mountain and giving it its shape.

"It must be the mountain's Fractal Code!" the fairy butterfly-thing exclaimed. Well, it didn't exactly have to take a genius to figure that out. But then again, her human form was a blonde, so it did of course add up.

Suddenly, Grumblemon burrowed out from in the mountain near the exposed Fractal Code. He jumped onto the ledge right next to the Code and pulled out his Gigasmon Spirit. "Slide Evolution!" He was enveloped in the Data of his second Spirit. "Gigasmon!"

He gave us a rather devious glare. "Quagmire Twister!" He spun around rapidly like a tornado, knocking everyone down as easily as a bowling ball hitting pins in a bowling alley.

I was knocked off the ladder and sent plummeting down. Luckily enough, the polar bear used what he called a Frozen Tundra attack, which gave his form a pliable structure. He stuck to the side of the mountain and Lobomon, Agunimon, and I grabbed on to the icicle spears he formed with his body.

Gigasmon stood before the Fractal Code and looked upon it. "Fractal Code! Digitize!" He began to suck in the Data and the mountain began to tremble violently, in a way that made me assume that it wasn't exactly normal.

The polar bear lost his grip on the mountain and we began to plunge down into a tear in the surface of the earth. Suddenly, it became pitch blackness.


	9. Chapter 8

**Sorry for it taking so long to update. I had a school project to do and things got really crazy (grr, curse you, Treasure Island...). but here's the next chapter, things should be updated more often now, since i'm done with my project and it's soon to be Christmas break. Yeah baby!**

* * *

Chapter 8

I could see a light at the end of the tunnel. I was pretty sure I wasn't dead; it was just the tunnel that we had fallen into. Well, that's what I was hoping. Since if I had died, then apparently Takuya, Tommy, and Koji had as well, and I didn't really feel like letting Takuya and Tommy ruin my heaven. And Koji…well, he'd add to the splendor of heaven. 'Cause if he wasn't there, it'd indeed be hell.

The cave opened up to the side of a cliff and we began to drop down to the bottom, where I was sure this time our death would occur. But I looked down to see what would be the object of my death, but instead, I saw giant colorful balls like you'd see in the local Chuck E. Cheese or something.

We hit them and bounced upwards soon before crashing down and being swamped within the colorful balls. Instead of the fun that such things would have normally brought on for kids, there was more confusion and annoyance than anything going through me.

"This looks like more fun than it is," Tommy moaned. I had to admit that I agreed with him. Except for the part of it actually looking fun, since this didn't appeal to me at all in the least.

"You're not kidding," came the reply. The voice was rather muffled, so I couldn't tell whether it was Koji or Takuya. But whoever it was seemed rather annoyed with being dropped into a giant kid's play pool thing.

Takuya emerged out of the balls right in front of my face. He didn't really seem to notice my scowl, or even that I was that close for that matter. "Whoa, is this a big playground? And if it is, what needs a playground this big?"

Tommy's voice sounded worried. "We're gonna find out, aren't we?"

Takuya sighed in annoyance. "Of course…"

We made out way out of the giant ball pit and began to walk around. Obviously, this wasn't exactly the most normal of places, since the trees were shaped like geometric solids and there were weird colorful blocks around like what a little kid would use to build with. It felt like hell to me; everything was too colorful and seemingly supposed to be all happy and stuff. It almost made me welch.

"Keep your eyes peeled for Zoe and the guys," Takuya stated, walking ahead of us as if he thought he'd make even a slightly adequate leader. Yeah, I wouldn't have listened to him if he was appointed president. Because whoever did that must not have had even half a brain.

"Something tells me that they're not going to be easy to find in this place," Koji replied flatly, looking around at the geometric trees.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" I questioned, sighing. It was at this time that I came to the conclusion that I most definitely had a nightmare about this place at one point or another. And if I didn't…well, I would now.

"Maybe it was the size of this place!" Demi peeped, poking his head out of the hood of my sweatshirt where he apparently was for the last while. Up to that point, I pretty much forgot that he even existed.

We all heard something in the distance and looked up. A little red dude was flying in the distance and Takuya immediately came to the decision that we should follow it. I didn't see much reason to, since it seemed to be just a toy, but whatever, I was curious to know how this would all play out.

Tommy ran ahead of us, chasing after the little toy for whatever his immature reason was, and Takuya ran after him to stop him. I figured already that eventually his childish notions were going to be a downfall for everyone else.

Koji and I stood there momentarily, rather annoyed. "This is most likely going to get really irritating, really fast," I mumbled, running after Takuya and Tommy.

Tommy stopped when he saw a bunch of toys lying around on the ground. "Check it out! This is awesome!" he exclaimed, sitting down and beginning to play with a toy car and a race track.

Koji put his hands in his pocket and scowled. "Don't sit down; we don't have time for this!" He watched in aggravation as Tommy proceeded with putting the car on the track and watching it go around. "What a baby…"

Tommy turned around and cast him a small glare because of the insult. "I am not! These are just cool toys!"

"What's your definition of cool?" I grumbled to myself, crossing my arms as Demi crawled out of my hood and onto my shoulder. I whacked him off onto the ground. I was okay with him being in my hood, because I didn't have to see him, but the shoulder was overdoing it.

Takuya ignored my comment, if he had heard it at all, that is. "Yeah, they are cool, but this probably isn't the best time to be playing." He tried to be soft with the kid, though I didn't really see why, since he had to know that work was more important at one point. He was a Legendary Warrior; he had to take that seriously.

"Aww, c'mon! When else can we play with all of these neat toys?!" Tommy's voice raised up to a whine, probably something he used frequently back in the real world to get whatever the _kuso_ he wanted. 'Cause he was just a spoiled little brat that got whatever he wanted.

"Kid, does it honestly matter?! We have more important things to do, forget the crappy toys." I scowled at him, saying what was running through my mind. Why be nice about the truth if the truth itself wasn't nice?

After a small discussion between Takuya and Tommy (does no one listen to me?!?), we began again walking. I ignored the on-going conversation between Koji and Takuya about the Forest Terminal, knowing that the main goal was to get there for whatever reason was intended.

"Guys, check it out!"

We stopped and turned around, seeing Tommy holding a toy pig and a green balloon in his hands, smiling his frickin' head off. He pressed the ear of the pig and it began to make noise, making him laugh.

Takuya tried again to take control of the situation. "Hey, look. We decided that it wasn't the time to play around, right?" And there he went making everything go bad again. Why did he always have to do that?

"You decided?" Tommy let go of the string of the balloon and I watched briefly as it ascended into the air. His head dropped like he was about to start the waterworks again.

Takuya realized his mistake. "Calm down! Don't start crying." He honestly couldn't make anything better, since Tommy turned away, annoyance in his expression. "Aw, man, I feel bad."

Koji glanced momentarily at Tommy and then turned back to Takuya. "Why? Because of him? The baby has to grow up sometime." Thank _Kamisama_ that at least someone thought the same way I did.

"Don't be so mean." Takuya cast Koji a look that I think was supposed to look threatening, but quite frankly, I didn't think it at all really. "I mean, he's only a kid for Pete's sake."

I watched as the conversation progressed. I had taken Koji's side from the very start, but I didn't necessarily want to speak unless deemed at least of little importance. For now, Koji was doing just fine in the argument. Heck, to be outwitted by Takuya, you'd need an IQ of about…two.

Koji began to walk away. "Whatever…"

Takuya turned around and Koji stopped. "No, you can't just say whatever. Now listen up! I know you're not used to having friends, but you're part of a team now, so you'd better show some support!"

He kept his back to Takuya and Tommy. "Great idea, let's support the useless kid right up until we die from his stupidity."

Takuya put on a sour look. "No wonder no one likes you…"

Koji spun around and sent him a glare that made me think that he was just about to tear the goggle-wearing freak into many little pieces. "What do you know?!"

I finally decided this was a good time to step in. I put my hand on Koji's shoulder as a gesture to contain himself, even though I would have loved to see him beating on Takuya, and said, "We should save this for later. Man, I can't believe I'm the one saying this…We're not going to get anywhere by arguing. Besides, Takuya, Koji's right. He has to learn that none of this is a dumb, little game. There aren't any do-overs if you aren't on your guard and you get attacked. Face it, we could die here."

Takuya scowled at me. "How come you always take his side? Don't you realize how much younger Tommy is than us?"

I shook my head at his remark. "He's a Legendary Warrior, just like all of us. He has to learn the responsibility that comes with such power. It seems to me you don't even know what that means, Takuya."

We all glared at each other for a long moment. Such mutiny has arisen in just a short time, though I expected the friction. I never seemed to get along with _kuso atamas_, such as Takuya, although, I never really seemed to get along with anyone anyway...

Tommy finally spoke up after all this time of silence. "Come on, guys. If you keep fighting, we'll never get to the Forest Terminal!" he complained, although made no effort to move.

I heard a whistle-like noise and turned, seeing a little train heading this way. It was only like two feet tall and had two cars. True, it was bigger than most toy trains I've seen, but its color combinations kinda scared me.

"Hey, it's a train!" Tommy exclaimed, as if none of us had ever seen one in our lives before this moment. He glanced at Takuya with a large smirk on his face that I could shove about five of those trains into.

Takuya returned the glance. "Okay, guys, we're hitching a ride!" He and Tommy ran to the train and jumped on the first car. They waved at us to join them. "Come on, buuuddy! All aboard the creepy little train express!"

I gave Koji a glance that said 'please tell me this isn't happening'. "If they make me get on that stupid thing, I'm gonna hit them so hard their grandchildren will bleed…" I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest.

Takuya suddenly jumped off the train and pulled us toward it, saying, "Come on, it's good for you!"

I glared at him. "How much you gonna pay me?" I asked sarcastically, knowing that he probably didn't have a cent on him.

He took off his hat and pulled out two twenty dollar bills. He handed it to me while stating, "Happy now, Sir Whines-A-Lot?" He then mumbled to himself, "Huh, I wonder where that was when I needed it…"

I took the money and stuffed it in my pocket. "Quite," I replied flatly. I pulled Koji toward the train. "It can't be that bad, can it? Besides, it beats walking."

Koji gave me a look that clearly asked 'since when do you accept bribery?', but I could easily see that he wasn't really thrilled with it, probably for two main reasons. 1) He has to get on the tacky train 2) He didn't get any money out of it

We sat back to back on the second train, Koji looking down at the track passing below us. He seemed rather humiliated that he was even riding on what he considered a toy for little kids. And I knew for certain that Takuya and Tommy probably weren't going to let this pass by.

"Yeah, some train…" Koji grumbled.

Takuya looked back and smiled rather triumphantly at the Warrior of Light, who as a matter of fact, didn't seem to be shining too brightly right about now. "It's a _toy_ train," he corrected smugly.

Tommy laughed at Koji, though didn't glance back.

"Yeah, very funny. Just drop it, okay? It's bad enough that I have to ride on this stupid thing." He gave me a blaming glare and I just shrugged back, pulling out my recently acquired money as a reminder and handing him a twenty as an apology.

Takuya turned back around, and together with Tommy, began to chant, "Koji's playing with toys!"

Suddenly, they stopped chanting and Tommy exclaimed, looking to the right, "That's wild, Takuya! It's a giant, walking teddy bear!"

Takuya smiled. "Hey, maybe he knows how to get to Forest Terminal!"

We all jumped off the stupid, little train and ran towards the large yellow bear with the bandage over his belly button (again: WTF?) Takuya waved to it and began to shout to it, "Hey, buddy, Teddy! Wait up!"

"I'm getting sick in here…" Demi mumbled from in my hood.

"Demi, don't you dare hurl," I growled back. "If you do, you're buying me a new sweatshirt, and I don't care if you sell yourself to pay for it."

The bear stopped and turned to look at us. Suddenly, then, he started running at us with his arms swinging wildly. We stopped as he ran to Takuya, who was standing in front, and flung him on the ground. I had to hold back a laugh, since never before had a imagined the Warrior of Flame to be tossed down by what he probably used to sleep with or maybe, knowing him, probably still did. Except this one was over twice his height.

The bear raised his paw into the air and triumphantly proclaimed, "I am still undefeated!" And then added unenthusiastically, "...Woo…" He picked Takuya back up onto his feet and then stated, "Now we wrestle for the championship of the world."

Tommy smiled and held up his arms, saying, "Yeah! I'm next!" But before he could get his wish, Takuya grabbed his wrist, asked if he was crazy, and we all took off running in the opposite direction. But what the really bad thing was that the bear kept chasing after us.

I looked back at the yellow bear, moaning, "_Nani yo_?! He's still following us! Why are things that attack always yellow?!"

I felt Demi squirming in my hood. "Feeling sicker…"

I glanced back at the blue dragon that was bouncing around in my sweatshirt hood. "Demi, don't even think about it!"

We all got into a giant boat of some sort and hid there until the bear ran past. We peered out, noting how dangerous it was, but Tommy disagreed with us, saying that he seemed kinda fun (WTF?). Though right at that moment, the boat started moving back and forth in a rather nauseating way.

We all grabbed onto something as Koji angrily demanded, "Whose idea was it to hide us on this crazy thing?!"

"You wanna wrestle the bear instead?!" Takuya retaliated back, obviously referring to his own experience with the yellow beast with the zipper on his back and the weird obsession to fighting.

I held Demi away from me, making sure he didn't loose it all on me. "Will you both just shut up?!"

"Just get us off of here!" Koji yelled, as if it was our fault that we were getting increasingly nauseous from the constant rocking back and forth in a motion that was enough to get anyone seasick.

Takuya looked over the side. "Hey, we're floating," he stated rather flatly, like we weren't stuck on a boat named the _Viking _in a place that seemed like a spoiled little kid's paradise.

"What's that have to do with anything?!" I snapped back, seeing Demi's face turning a foul green color that obviously wasn't a good thing. I was tempted to just throw him off the ship then and there.

"Is anyone else feeling kind of sick?" Tommy questioned, his face beginning to turn the same color as Demi's. Great, now puke will be flying at me from _two_ directions. This will be fun.

"Get us off of here before he loses it!" Koji yelled, fearing the same thing that I was at that moment.

"Sure, I'll just snap my fingers," Takuya shot back.

Tommy made a moaning noise that I didn't take as a very pleasant thing. "Uh-oh…" He gulped back hard.

"Don't look at my direction, kid!" Koji warned, though he was the one that had to take heed. Tommy looked at Takuya.

"Well, don't point him at me!" Takuya backed off a little bit and made Tommy look at me.

"Hey, that doesn't mean you can point him at me!" I yelled, slapping Takuya across the face with one hand and holding Demi off the side of the boat with my other. A few times, I thought I would drop him.

The ship finally stopped moving, and I was forced to turn away at what happened next for the fear of doing the same. Just the mere thought made my stomach turn. I glanced at Demi, who was now retaining his normal blue color. My sweatshirt was still unstained, so that was a rather good thing.

"You going to be okay, kid?" Takuya questioned, leading Tommy out of the ship. Tommy made a little noise that I thought was a kind of 'uh-huh', but in response to this, Takuya crouched down and asked, "Come on, you want a piggyback ride?"

"Give me a break, make the kid walk!" Koji snapped, his rather bad mood easy to see.

As they again began to argue, I found a stick and began to carve more lyrics into the ground, different from all of the lyrics I left wherever I went, 'How could this happen to me? I've made my mistakes, got nowhere to run. But life goes on as I'm fading away, I'm sick of this life, I just want to scream. How could this happen to me?'

"Look? It's no big deal, he's not feeling well, so I'm helping him out, okay?" It was plainly noticeable that Takuya didn't get the point Koji was trying to make…Whatever point that was.

"Oh yeah, and what'll happen if you're attacked while you're carrying him?! You'll be too slow to run away, that's for sure!" Oh, so _that's_ what his point was. Well, at least he had one. "You're about the worst leader I've ever seen! You never think ahead!"

Takuya straightened himself and sent a glare at Koji. "Well, at least I think about someone besides myself, Mr. Definition Of The Word Selfish!"

Tommy walked by us, mumbling in a more or less depressing tone, "I can walk…" Though he seemed rather disappointed that he didn't get to ride on Takuya's back instead.

Takuya turned and gave Tommy a confused look. "Hey, Tommy. You sure?"

The puffy hat-wearing boy turned and nodded slightly. "Yeah, I mean, I really don't have a choice."

Takuya suddenly pointed to the building in front of us, which was primarily made of candy. That could never be a good sign. There was probably some creepy old person that wanted to eat us. "I got an idea. Let's see if anyone lives in that house. Maybe they can help us."

I stared at Takuya with a look that said 'are you really that dumb?', but really, I knew that answer already. "You really have no idea, do you? Don't you know that story about the candy house? You of all people should have read that."

"Oh, it can't be that bad! Lighten up, buuuddy!" He gave me a single, hard whack on the back, smirking like the idiot that he was. Some days I wonder if he watches himself in the mirror just to make sure he gets that stupid look right.

"Lighten up? Isn't that Koji's job?" I question, giving a glance of perplexity to Takuya, and then tossing an 'I know that was fail' look to Koji, who was at that time raising an eyebrow at me.

Takuya ignored my comment and began to walk into the building, so reluctantly, we followed behind. He seemed pretty sure of himself, but that was a reason to fear his judgment…Wait, what judgment?

The building, as if this wasn't unexpected, was full of candy everywhere you'd look. As soon as Demi caught whiff of all of the teeth-rotting sweets, he jumped out of his hideaway in my hood and ran to the candy.

Takuya looked around in awe of the massive amounts of candy. "Now I know what it's like to be a kid in a candy store!" he exclaimed.

Tommy nodded, smiling his head almost clear off. "And it's the best thing ever!" he agreed.

I stood next to Koji, watching Tommy run over and fetch cotton candy for everyone. "This is ridiculous. It's like they've completely forgotten where we are…" I mumbled, glancing at the aggravated look on his face.

He cast me a like-minded gaze before turning back to the scene before him. "That is, if they _ever_ knew where we are." His voice held a rather disheartening note, one that showed how little faith he had in the two Legendary Warriors standing before him.

Then, Tommy walked up to us and handed us each a stick of cotton candy. I looked at it for a moment in a form of revulsion before glancing at Takuya, who was practically inhaling his.

Koji had the same look on his face as I did. "We do not have time to sit around stuffing our faces with candy!" he snapped, "We have to find a way to get to the Forest Terminal! We're not out having fun at a carnival or something! You understand?" He noticed Takuya was still chowing down, not paying any attention. "Are you listening to me?!" He completely lost it when Takuya still didn't answer, "Man, you're infuriating!"

Takuya finally looked up from his cotton candy. "What are we supposed to do?! We're floating on an island!"

I could see Koji's eyes darken in color and his expression change to one that was fully blaming Takuya for everything that's gone wrong. "There's another example of why you'll never be a good leader: You just give up. It's like you don't even want to help your friends at all! I mean, take a look at what you're doing right now."

Takuya tried not to be fazed by Koji's words, but I could see that his façade wasn't really going over as planned. "I don't see you coming up with any ideas." That's all he could come up with?

"At least I'm not just eating. We need to think about the other Legendary Warriors!"

"Legendary Wa—what?! What are you talking about?" It was completely clear that Takuya didn't get the idea. As if he ever did anyway.

"What if the other five Warriors turn out to be on the enemies' side?!"

I decided this was a good time for me to contribute to this conversation. No matter what, Takuya had to see the light. "Yeah, we already know Grumblemon is against us! Since there are twelve Legendary Warriors, chances are that that little gnome's not the only one that we'll have to fight."

"If they are, we'll need a plan. We have to think about the worst case scenario, not just play games and eat sweets—" Koji worded it in a way I really wouldn't have, but hey, it worked. "—or we might not make it out of this world alive!"

Takuya glanced back at Tommy out of the corner of his eyes. "Look, can we not talk about this now?" he questioned, referring to the miserable look on the small boy's face.

"You mean not in front of Tommy?" Koji scoffed. "I don't care if he's young; he has to learn to face the truth!"

Tommy didn't look up from the ground. "I…I'm sorry you hate me so much…" He seemed to be at the point of crying, which I was sure he was about to do so.

Koji took a long pause. "I don't hate you, it's just…" He looked down as well, trying to find the words that didn't come out. For a few moments, it was completely silent.

Well, until Tommy broke it, "I'm sorry…"

Takuya walked over to him and put his hand on his hat, but said nothing. It was like he was just trying to speak to Tommy with his eyes and actions, but really, I could see nothing in this. Why did he try to rebuild what was already broken?

I turned away and threw the cotton candy that was in my hands to the floor. "This is stupid; you guys just don't get it." I walked out of the building, barely noticing Demi running up to me and hopping back into my hood.

A few yards away from the weird candy building, I heard voices speaking. In the distance, I saw the same yellow bear that enjoyed beating on Takuya (we'd have so much in common…) and a grey and black dude that seemed to be made out of Lego's.

The Lego was the first one to speak. "Hahaha! Human children on our island! This couldn't be any more perfect. We shall capture all of them and use them as bargaining chips when we get to the real world!" He turned to the bear. "Monzaemon, get them now!"

The bear, apparently called Monzaemon, had a scared look on his face. "Me? Can't we just play?" he questioned, attempting to get away from the evil, little Lego dude.

Lego just sent him a fierce glare, and a purple glow came from his eyes. A bright light shot up and surrounded Monzaemon from all sides, cocooning him inside. When the light dispersed, a new, evil-looking Monzaemon with a cape appeared in his place.

"This can't be good…" I mumbled, retreating back to the building.

I ran up to Koji, Takuya, and Tommy, who were now exiting the building. "Hey, guys, we've got bad news," I warned, stopping in front of them. "Monzaemon was—" I stopped when Takuya put his hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry, buddy, whatever it is, we can handle it." He sent Koji a 'see, I'm taking control of the situation' kind of look before looking back at me.

I scowled. Somehow Takuya's words weren't very reassuring. All it seemed like he was trying to do was prove his worth to Koji, which I didn't think was going over well. "Ugh, never mind." I shoved him aside so he wouldn't be touching me anymore and began to walk.

It was silent a few moments. "Does anyone want to talk?" Tommy peeped, probably feeling at fault for all of this.

Koji didn't turn to look back at him before speaking. "Fine, let's talk about getting to Forest Terminal and what we're going to do about the other Legendary Warriors."

Takuya put an annoyed look on his face. "Ugh, you're unbelievable. I told you, I didn't want to talk about it in front of Tommy."

"And I told _you _that you can't treat him differently than the rest of us!" I was beginning to wonder when this argument of theirs was going to end. And who was the one to start it in the first place.

"Yeah, but you can respect that he's just a kid."

I couldn't really decide whether to tell them that Monzaemon was carrying away Tommy right then. Because I couldn't avoid admitting that it would solve a lot of things, and make it more quiet.

"So are you!"

Before any more quarrelling could go on, Tommy was the one to shout out something that wasn't an insult or mudslinging, "Uh, guys…HELP!!"

At this, Koji and Takuya turned and saw the evil Monzaemon running away with Tommy in his grasp. Well, at least their attention was on something else besides tearing each other down. Though I couldn't blame Koji; making fun of Takuya was quite entertaining.

"It's that bear again!" Takuya exclaimed, just standing there as Monzaemon ran away with Tommy.

"No, it's different now. It looks all funky." Well, funky wasn't a word that I would have imagined coming out of Koji's lips.

We began to run in pursuit of the evil little teddy bear, though it seemed rather unlikely we were going to catch something that was over twice our height. Well, Takuya seemed to believe we could.

Suddenly, evil Monzaemon stopped and turned around to face us. "Heartbreak Attack!" He released a dark purple heart that nailed Takuya directly.

Takuya instantly moaned and fell to his knees, looking as though he was a little kid that got his lollypop taken away from him. "What's the point? We're never gonna catch him." He suddenly threw his head back and burst into tears.

"Okay, _nani yo_? What's his deal?" I stared at him as Demi hopped out of my hood and ran over to Takuya to try to cheer him up. But in his efforts, Takuya grabbed him and began to hug the life out of him, crying all the while.

"Mommy…Daddy…bones…breaking…"

Koji also had a puzzled look on his face. "Why are you crying? What happened?" he questioned, obviously not used to something like this happening on a daily basis back in the real world.

Takuya dropped Demi to wipe his eyes, the little Digimon jumbled up on the ground. "I just feel really sad!"

I cocked my head slightly. "I don't think this is normal for him…"

At that moment, Monzaemon unleashed another Heartbreak Attack, and before I even realized what I was doing, I intercepted the attack instead of it hitting Koji. Suddenly, it felt like everything was going wrong, like there was no hope for anything at all.

My world began to crash down on me in a sudden rush of negative emotions as I hung my head. "I can't stand it! Why does everything have to be so dreadful here?! I just want to go home! But I can't! I'm stuck here where everyone is getting hurt!" I uncontrollably burst into tears, wailing my heart out.

"Not you too," Koji grumbled.

"I just—I just…" I wrapped my arms around him, which seemed to make him overly uncomfortable. But who was I to care? I was too absorbed in my own problems of life. "I just don't want you to get hurt, Koji! I just love you too much!" I felt the tears stop draining from my eyes.

All of a sudden, I felt hope. And also at that moment, I realized what I was doing. My face as red as a cherry, I backed away from Koji slowly, who had a disturbed look plastered on his face. "Okay…let's just pretend that didn't just happen…" I mumbled, although I knew I wouldn't forget clinging onto Koji for practically dear life for a very long time.

Takuya stood up and wiped his eyes; luckily had not been paying attention to what I was doing. "That attack is so not fair!" He jumped to his feet as I mentally agreed with him. "And now Tommy is gone."

"The same for all of my dignity…" I mumbled, beginning to walk in the direction that the evil Monzaemon headed a few moments before.

Takuya noticed that I was actually willingly going after someone that kidnapped one of his friends. "Wait, where you going?" he asked, probably not really certain whether or not I was leaving to save Tommy.

I turned and sent him a rather nonchalant glance. "If you think I'm going to help that idiot, you're wrong. It's his problem, not mine. I'm just going to get my good share of revenge. It doesn't matter to me whether your friend gets out or not."

This completely aggravated Takuya. "Man, you're so selfish! Do you care for anyone besides yourself at all?!" That proved that he didn't hear what I said under the Heartbreak Attack's effects.

I said nothing in response to his yelling. I wasn't going to be the one to have to watch over everyone, they should either be able to fend for themselves or just get the heck out of here before they get their limbs chewed off by some cannibalistic Digimon.

Takuya kept going, seeing that I wasn't about to argue. I had enough of that for one day. "You call yourself a Legendary Warrior?! I haven't even seen you Spirit Evolve yet! And how do we know that you're not a phony and working for the enemies' side or even destined to be a Warrior at all?!"

Though I craved a good beating on Takuya, I had to contain myself for my own cover's sake. I zoned out, being absorbed into my thoughts. _What if he really is right and I'm not destined to be a Legendary Warrior? What if this was Yukio's destiny after all and I just took it from him, putting the entire Digital World at risk? Maybe Yukio was right all along: All I do is be a nuisance…I'm a jerk…I'm a failure to my parents…All that he said…it's all true…_

Takuya waved his hand in front of my face. "Earth to Kaz! Come in! Do you copy?" He turned to Koji and shrugged with a look on his face that said 'hey, don't blame this one on me'. "I think he's finally lost it."

I rubbed my head, moving those thoughts and worries to the back of my mind. I couldn't give up now, I was Gryphanimon. It was like there was another part of me now, one that gave me more hope than I ever had. But this hope it gave, it wasn't really helping me much.

Though he clearly saw that I noticed he was waving his hand in my face, Takuya for some dumb reason kept waving his hand in front of my eyes. I cast him an annoyed glare, more than ever wanting to beat him down. "Get your frickin' hand out of my face…" I growled crossly.

His hand dropped daintily back to his side as a long moment of silence soon followed. He tried to prevent the awkwardness by saying, "Anyway, we gotta rescue Tommy," as if he had forgotten until now. He began to lead the way and I all but wanted to follow. But Koji tossed me a 'don't ask me what's wrong with him, 'cause I don't know either' glance and I reluctantly followed.

"Why do evil things always run faster than normal things?" Takuya questioned, after walking for some time. He had been complaining pretty much ever since we'd departed a while back.

Koji looked around at the weird-colored buildings. "I don't see it anywhere," he mumbled, glancing at me.

I shrugged, haven't really been on much of a lookout for Monzaemon or Tommy. "And you think that I've seen him? I've been with you guys the entire time."

"This is our fault, since we were fighting," Takuya stated, as if we didn't really already know this. But then, this is when he began to revive memories. "This really reminds me of…the time I lost my little brother at the amusement park. I'd never been so worried in my life until now."

"I know. Little kids are always getting in the way." Koji's remark burned me a little, since it reminded me of what Yukio always told me. I gave an uncontrollable shudder.

Again, he managed to tick Takuya off. "That's not what I meant! Man, you must be the most selfish kid in the whole world—two worlds!" Haven't we heard this one before? "We have a responsibility to take care of Tommy because he's younger than us! Ugh, don't you take care of your own brothers and sisters?!"

Koji's expression became one of slight sadness. I had a strange urge to walk up to him and hug him, try to make him feel better, but tried my best to ignore it. "I don't have any. Happy now?"

I gave Takuya a good whack. "Now look at what you did! You made him depressed!" Wait, where did that come from?! Did that come out of _my _lips?!

Takuya gave the Warrior of Light an apologetic look. "Oh…"

Much to my surprise, Koji kept talking. "See, I don't know anything about having brothers…" And as far as I was concerned, he was lucky for that very reason.

Takuya tried to offer up some solution to that statement. "Well, then, why don't you just…imagine Tommy is your little brother? And think what it'd be like for a little kid to be alone and afraid. Imagine that you could keep him from feeling that way."

I saw Koji's expression change from one of sadness to a strong determination. His eyes were full of a fiery hope. I never saw such driving force, such ambition come from one statement that came from Takuya's mouth. He ran off, Takuya at his heels, and with reluctance, I followed warily.

Takuya was the first one to stop, seeing the little red robot flying through the air. "There's a friendly face," he stated, the robot floating before him. "Hey, flying robot, we're looking for a little kid and a big bear. Have you seen them?"

The robot nodded and pointed, flying off in that direction. Man, why couldn't everything in this world be right next to each other? It would save both exhaustion and traveling time.

We approached a purplish-pink castle with blue roofing. Not exactly my idea of a nice castle. And apparently not Koji's idea, either, otherwise he probably wouldn't have said, "In that creepy castle?!"

Though it didn't seem at all abnormal to Takuya, apparently. "How can it be creepy, its lavender!" he exclaimed as we approached it.

"Never underestimate your enemy," Koji warned. Honestly, what could a building that looked like a fairy princess painted do?

We stopped before the drawbridge and looked upon it. "It's just so lavender!" I thought I may go blind if I stared at it enough.

Demi peeped out from back in my hood and gazed at it in wonder. Until he really took notice to Zoe, this was the most lavender he's probably ever seen. He smiled at it and jumped out of my hood, running for the courtyard over the bridge, exclaiming, "Pretty colors!"

I sighed while running after him. There was no really good reason for him to go all prissy on me here. Or getting himself killed, for that matter. I glanced at Koji and Takuya, who were running about three yards behind me.

But suddenly, the drawbridge began to close in a folding motion (not exactly what I'd call your average drawbridge, but this wasn't really your average world, now was it?). I ran the rest of the way to the courtyard, but Koji and Takuya weren't so lucky. I heard a splash when the bridge completely closed.

Suddenly, I was surrounded by the little dark-colored Lego's from all sides. I pulled out my D-Tector, ready to go. My D-Tector made noise, identifying the not-so-fun toys, "Evil hackers turned the Toyagumon into ShadowToyagumon. Their special attack is Plastic Blaze, but the pain it causes sure isn't fun and games." _Wow, it made a pun. Not a good one, but a pun nonetheless._

"I never liked building things, but I do like destroying them." I gripped my D-Tector in my hands. "Execute! Spirit Evolution!" I was enveloped in the blue streams of data as I felt the power rushing through me. "Gryphanimon!"

"Plastic Blaze!"

I was suddenly bombarded with dark…blobs of what was probably melted plastic, and I took flight to dodge. I looked down at the enemies, feeling the adrenaline of battle, and letting my Digimon instincts take over.

"Temne Gust!" My feathered wings glowed a sliver color and when I gave them a good flap, razors of light shot out from the edges of them and nailed the ShadowToyagumon directly. They sustained little damage; however, and began to stack on top of each other. In mere moments, they formed an army tank.

"Well…didn't see that coming…Temne Gust!" I again launched the attack, making the ShadowToyagumon tank blow up and all of the individual Digimon go flying. But to my dismay, they gathered again and formed a Warrior-like structure. "_Kamisama_, talk about persistent."

I dove down for a close-range attack, but only to be nearly hit by its fist. I swooped back up, figuring that I couldn't get close enough to hit it directly. Well, not when it had fully-operable limbs. So I had to make them inoperable.

I held my arm before me and a hatch on the plate covering my arm opened, revealing a well-sharpened arrow. "Tempest Arrow!" The single arrow shot at the large ShadowToyagumon warrior, striking its chest. The attack made it freeze, frozen in time. My instincts told me I had to work fast, since the attack wouldn't remain in effect for long.

I swooped down toward the Lego warrior. "Strike of Thoth!" The claws on my pawed feet increased in size and serration. I swung my leg around and struck the warrior in the side.

I landed on my feet as the Fractal Code of the ShadowToyagumon became visible. Pulling out my D-Tector, I clicked the button on the side. "Fractal Code! Digitize!" I ran the device over the code and it became sucked up inside.

The ShadowToyagumon burst out of their warrior form and became full of color. I De-Digivolved and ran into the castle, figuring more of the little evil Lego's were on the way to help their purified, fallen comrades.

"Demi! Where are you?!" I yelled, running through all parts of the castle my feet could walk on. "DemiVeemon!"

Suddenly, the little blue dragon appeared out of practically nowhere. An agitated look on his face, he insisted, "My name is Demi! D-E…me." It was official: he could not spell worth _kuso_.

I raised an eyebrow. "Right…suit yourself." I turned at the shouting of voices. Immediately, I saw Koji and Takuya running toward me. They looked slightly worn, like they had to fight ShadowToyagumon as well, which I didn't doubt that they didn't. There were enough of those to go around.

"Kaz! Did you help Tommy?!" Takuya questioned, worry molded into his face for the little kid.

I shook my head, momentarily closing my eyes. "Not my business, nor will it ever be," I replied simply, not hinting as much as a mustard seed's size of compassion. No one ever cared for me, why should I care for them?

Takuya gave me a hard shove before taking off running up the steps to the tower. "Hang on, Tommy!" he yelled.

I sighed and followed after him and Koji. Hearing shouts coming from behind a wooden door at the top of the steps, I saw Takuya's face grow even tenser, more than I thought possible.

We stopped at the door and Koji and Takuya gave each other a determined glance. They barged through the door and stopped almost right away, making me run right into Takuya. Yeah. Perfect.

I immediately realized why they stopped so abruptly. Tommy wasn't hurt nor being attacked; he was playing video games with Monzaemon, who was now back in his normal yellow form.

Koji was first to speak and in doing so, he pretty much spoke for all of us. "Tommy, what are you doing?"

Tommy turned and smiled at us. "What's it look like I'm doing?" he questioned, obviously not alarmed by our sudden appearance and the barging through the door so unexpectedly.

"But we thought you were in trouble…" Takuya gasped, realizing we went all that way for pretty much nothing.

Tommy nodded while this time Monzaemon spoke. "I know. I feel just awful about that, guys. But this little trooper saw through to the real me and played with me anyway." He rubbed Tommy on his giant hat-covered head. "He's a good boy."

Tommy grinned happily, probably glad he got to play one more time since he got to the Digital World. "So can we keep him?" Can't say I saw that one coming.

"No…" we all moaned, turning away from the on-going scene.

We all walked out of the so-called 'creepy castle' and were confronted by a panda bear wearing a red cape. Either it was just me, or he seemed to know us. Or maybe just everyone besides me.

"Ah," he said, "Fantastic friends."

I gave a slightly puzzled look while staring at him. "Uh, hello…?" Okay, either lots of bear Digimon lived her or Takuya got a clan of them pissed off and they were out to kill us. And quite frankly, I could believe either one of those options.

Gesturing to the Toyagumon behind him, the Digimon's name who figured was probably Pandamon or something stated, "To make up for their monstrous mistakes, the Toyagumon insist they take you off the island."

Everyone made a sort of gleeful noise as we were led to a small plane and we took off into the air. And apparently, Takuya found this a good time to make conversation.

"Hey, Tommy how come you weren't scared?" he questioned.

"Well, I'm really not afraid of airplanes," Tommy replied, not really getting the point of Takuya's question.

"I meant when you were captured by that evil teddy bear."

Tommy lowered his head, as if he was a bit embarrassed, but either way, he was still smiling. "Well, to be honest, I was so scared of him that I almost wet my pants—" Nice to know. "—but then I figured out that the big guy only wanted to play video games with me."

Takuya gave a small laugh as Koji stated, "Probably only a kid could figure that out."

Takuya turned back and grinned deviously, probably because Koji proved himself wrong. "You're right. You thought kids weren't good for anything."

At that moment, the Toyagumon flying the plane turned back to look at us. "Guys, if you look down, you can see the forest."

"Wow!" Tommy exclaimed, being the first one to take a glace at the ground below.

"Cool!" Takuya shouted.

Koji glanced down briefly, stating flatly, "It's just trees."

Apparently, the Toyagumon thought we may enjoy the next thing he had in mind. "And for a little excitement…" He steered the plane upward, making us fly upside-down in a big loop.

"May-maybe I am afraid of airplanes!" Tommy yelled over the combined sound of the engine and Takuya's screaming.

I looked down at the grassy area below us, seeing a weird little boat gliding over the grass. I was almost tempted to rub my eyes in disbelief. Naw, only cartoon characters did that.

The Toyagumon turned back to us, stating, "There are parachutes below your seats. Good luck to you all."

We fastened the parachutes and leapt off the plane. Falling slowly down, Koji questioned, "What is that?"

Tommy was the one to peep up this time. "It looks like a boat!" he exclaimed excitedly. Okay, good, I wasn't going insane.

Takuya smiled widely. "It's Zoe and the others!"

"Good timing!"

Great. Now that Mr. Jumpsuit and Blondie are back, things I'm sure will get more chaotic than normal…well, depending on what this world called normal.


	10. Story Guide and Information

**Wherever You Will Go: story info** (I will update this page as the story goes on)

**Japanese Words:**

Kuso- shit

Kuso atama- shit head

Damare Konoyarou- shut up, you bastard

Jigoku e ike- go to hell

Nani yo?- What the hell?

Nan da kor' ya?- what the f**k's that?

Kamisama- God

Nii-san – older brother

Imouto- younger sister

Itai- ouch

Subeta- bitch

Gomen nasai- I'm sorry

Baka- stupid/idiot

Itadakimasu- thank you for the food (said before eating)

Arigatou- thank you

Gochisou sama deshita- thank you for the food (said after eating)

Oshiri- ass

Fakku- f**k

Shiseiji- bastard

-sama- lord, master (title inserted after name)

-kun- close friend, primarily close guy friends (title inserted after name)

Sumi- charcoal

Yariman- slut

-chan- suffix for close female friends

Kore ga tengokudesu- this is heaven

Kami kara tsukawasa- sent from God

Shimatta- damn it

**Gryphanimon's attacks:**

Tempest Arrow - arrow shoots out from plate on arm and freezes enemy in time momentarily

Strike of Thoth (Thoth is the Egyptian god of time)-claws on paws grow in size and serration and enemy is kicked

Temne Gust ('temne' is time in Finnish)- Wings glow white and razors shoot out

Burning Oras ('oras' is time in Filipino)- veiled in fire and strikes enemy from sky

**Laikasmon's attacks:**

Gift of Life- Energy is taken and given to ally by collecting all energy into tail ring. De-Spirit Evolves and gives ring to ally

Talim Storm ('talim' is steel in Filipino)- eyes glow silver and cyclone of energy is created

Shiorai Pionos ('shiorai'- eternal; 'pionos'- punishment: Irish)- ring on tail glows and user is enveloped in light and slams into enemy

**Ryoushinmon's attacks:**

Kiyomero Buredo ('Cleanse Blade')- The Soul Sword glows white and emits a mist; purifies at connection of blood

Manifold Cataclysm- With hands open, orbs of raw energy form in each, one blue, the other purple, and are pulled together into one

Fortified Continuum- Creates force field

**Mentioned songs-**

Fireflies- Owl City- Chapter 4

You and Me- Lifehouse- Chapter 5

Untitled- Simple Plan- Chapter 8

Numb- Linkin Park- Chapter 9

Falling in Love- Falling Up- Chapter 10

According to You- Orianthi- Chapter 11

If Ever I Could Love- Keith Urban- Chapter 12

Keep Holding On- Avril Lavigne- Chapter 14

Crush- Mandy Moore- Chapter 15

In The Blue- Hiroshi Kamiya -Chapter 15 (Koji's theme)

Supergirl- Saving Jane- Chapter 16

Taking Over Me- Evanescence- Chapter 16

I Kissed A Girl- Katy Perry- Chapter 16

Rock the Boat- Hues Corporation- Chapter 16

Burn it to the Ground- Nickelback- Chapter 17

Mirai's Song- uh…me?- Chapter 19 (Why does this even have to be here? Good question! I have no idea)

My Tomorrow- AiM- Chapter 19 (that's right! I'm using a Tamers song!)

Hey Soul Sister- Train- Chapter 19

Evacuate the Dancefloor- Cascada- Chapter 19

Take My Hand- Simple Plan- Chapter 20

Perfect- Simple Plan- Chapter 20

Mary's Song (Oh My My My)- Taylor Swift- Chapter 22

Hotel Aquarium- Falling Up- Chapter 22

Learn My Lesson- Daughtry- Chapter 22

Monster- Skillet- Chapter 23

The Older I Get- Skillet- Chapter 24

Flesh And Blood- People In Planes- Chapter 24

The Other Side of the Door- Taylor Swift- Chapter 26

You Belong With Me- Taylor Swift- Chapter 26

I Can't Hate You Anymore- Nick Lachey- Chapter 26

Unwell- Matchbox 20- Chapter 27

September- Daughtry- Chapter 28

Breathe- Ryan Star- Chapter 30

Tongue Tied- Faber Drive- Chapter 30

DON'T CHA- Pussycat Dolls- Chapter 32

Terrified- Katharine McPhee- Chapter 32

Promise Me- Rika Nonaka- Chapter 34

The Stalking Song- InsideOut- Chapter 35

Run for Your Life- The Fray- Chapter 39

Stronger (BBT Version)- ShadyVox- Chapter 39

Crossing Field (English Fan Version)- Amanda Lee (original by LiSA)- Chapter 41

Maps- Falling Up- Chapter 42

I'll Always Remember You- Kirsten Price- Chapter 42 (Yup, Pokemon. Because this is one of my favorite songs from the movies)


	11. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"I believe the Forest Kingdom begins beyond that track," Bokomon stated, standing on a log and looking at the Trailmon tracks as one of the living trains moved along it.

"Sure looks big," Takuya stated, probably not even realizing how obvious his statement was.

JP turned to the radish-head Digimon. "Hey, Bokomon, how much farther do we have to walk to the Forest Terminal." Of course, whatever comes out of his frickin' mouth is a complaint.

"Don't worry, you should only have to walk a little bit more." And since this was coming from a Digimon, the words 'little bit' left a bit of uncertainty. Everything seemed so much bigger there in the Digital World.

"A little bit more?" JP hung his head and sighed. "These little bits are killing me!" Good, at least it would be a little more peaceful.

"Is there a time when you don't complain?" I mumbled, rather annoyed by the lazy personality of this jumpsuit-wearing idiot.

Bokomon and Neemon ran ahead of us and we strived to catch up, aside from JP and Tommy, who trailed along behind us in a slow, moping walk. Lazy _kuso atamas_, it's like they've never had to work before.

They began to complain about food and lack of breakfast and we stopped to discuss the matter. I wasn't really planning on stopping just because they grumble too much, but I couldn't ignore that I was a bit hungry also.

Takuya tried to become the voice of reasoning, though he had no reasoning really to spare. "I think we better stop here and make camp."

Zoe nodded in agreement. "It's been a long day for all of us," she stated, as if she knew what we had been through on the floating island of rampaging toys. How would she like to be chased by a giant yellow bear with a zipper on its back?

Koji realized that we were outnumbered, though this wasn't really a voting debate. "Yeah, whatever."

After some unnecessary comments by Tommy and JP, we searched the area for anything we needed or had to be wary of. It was Zoe who found something first and she held it up like she just found the map to Atlantis or something.

But it was just a light green apple. "Look what I found!" she proclaimed, showing it off to pretty much everyone. "I hope it's edible." She held it out and showed it to Bokomon.

He looked at it briefly before answering without much hesitation, "It's called a meat apple."

"Meat apple?" everyone repeated. Is there an echo in here?

Bokomon seemed rather excited that the question was purposed now. "Yes, each one has the flavor of a different meat. Quite nutritious, actually." Okay, so is it a meat or a fruit? That's what I wanna know.

Takuya pointed at it, looking at Zoe. "Where'd ya find that thing?" he questioned. Yes, 'thing', that's exactly what it is. Same as what's _not_ in your head. That, as a matter of fact, would be called '_**no**_thing'.

"It was just lying on the ground," Zoe replied, turning toward the direction she found it. "There has to be a tree somewhere nearby. Bokomon, will you help me find some more?"

The informational Digimon followed the lavender-dressed girl. "Certainly," he replied.

Neemon just stood there, looking rather confused about what was going on. "Can I come?" he asked.

Bokomon stopped abruptly. "All right…" He grabbed Neemon by the waistband and began to drag him along up the hill. Tommy followed quickly after them, yelling for them to wait.

Takuya nudged Koji in the side with his elbow and said, "Well, I guess we'd better gather some firewood."

We began to walk away in searching for wood as JP moaned, "I'm not going to have to lift anything heavy, am I?" I figured this was the beginning of some serious annoyance.

"If you don't shut the heck up, we'll make you carry everything," I warned, Demi hopping out of my hood and running ahead of us. I knew that with his luck, he was going to either get lost or lead some vicious Legendary Warrior-eating Digimon right to us.

We began to pick up twigs and sticks of all sizes, gathering them all up in our arms. I guess Takuya decided that a time like this needed some sort of conversation, since apparently to him, the silence was too dull.

So he just randomly started talking. "So what do you guys really think of Zoe?" he questioned, stopping his collecting of wood to glance at everyone around him. Obviously, he thought that since Zoe wasn't around, it would be a good idea to talk about her. Oh frickin' joy.

"Why would you _eeever_ ask that, Takuya?" JP questioned in a really strange voice. Oh _Kamisama_, that was freaky. His face kinda looked like the jack-o-lantern Yukio carved last Halloween.

"Someone got a crush?" Koji asked Takuya, grinning rather deviously.

The look that appeared on Takuya's face after Koji asked that almost made me burst out laughing. He reminded me of that of a tomato. I could mentally see steam coming out of his ears. "No, I don't. You guys are crazy." He averted his gaze off us and at something in the distance.

Demi came running out of the bushes suddenly, hopping up with enough momentum that when he connected with Takuya's hat-covered head, he knocked Takuya over and all of the wood that was previously in the Warrior of Flame's hands went clattering to the ground.

"Davis! Davis!" Demi wailed.

Takuya shoved the little dragon off of him and began to pick up the wood again that he had previously dropped. "For the last time, it's not Davis! It's Takuya!" He glanced at me and Koji. "I think you broke this kid. Did you drop him on his head too many times?"

Demi continued before either one of us could answer, his voice having turned from the previous whine to a rather excited tone, "Your girlfriend's coming with lots of meat apples!"

There was a single moment of silence while we watched as Takuya's jaw and once again the wood drop, and then JP, Koji, and I suddenly roared into laughter. It was the first time I ever laughed since I arrived in the Digital World and I had to admit, it felt great, especially since it was because Takuya was being mocked by a little Digimon not even a foot tall. And the timing couldn't have been better, either.

Takuya and his tomato head said nothing, scowling and picking up his wood again for the third time. "Okay, let's get the fire started," he said, trying to pretend nothing happened, and walking over to where we designated our campsite.

I looked at Koji, who shrugged, not saying anything and we followed Takuya, leaving Demi behind to ponder what had just gone on. It was seen on his face that he didn't know most of this was his doing, since there was a creepy little smirk on his face at that moment.

When the golden sun had finally set on the horizon, we had the wood organized in a manner for it to burn well and all the extra stacked nearby. I watched in amusement as I had for the past ten minutes, my eyes on the fire Takuya was attempting to start. I made no effort to help whatsoever, just watched as he strained to even make a single spark.

He tried to speed up his pace and a small puff of smoke began to arise. He collapsed as he put a weird look on his face, looking at Koji. He then questioned, "Am I done yet?!"

Koji gave a slight nod. "Yep. I'll take it from here." He hunched over the small glow coming from the wood and blew lightly on it. It satisfied me a little that he made Takuya do the hard part of the job.

I glanced over at everyone else, who were sticking the meat apples on sticks. But the mood I was in was soon ruined by JP, who held up a meat apple on a stick and said, "Apple, you're my best friend!" He took a chunk out of it, but soon his face turned a purplish color in distain for the apple. He immediately spit it out and yelled, "Disgusting!"

Bokomon turned to the now poisoned jumpsuited kid, advising, "You don't eat them raw, you know." Though he was smiling while saying this, so I was assuming that he got some pleasure in seeing JP almost kill himself on something that's always on his mind.

But when the radish-head said this, it was already too late for Neemon, whose eyes were as large as baseballs. His voice came out as a whine. "Why didn't you say that before?" he asked.

Annoyed with the scene going on before me, I got up and walked over to Koji and Takuya, who had now gotten the fire started. Takuya was presently asking Koji, "I got a question: All five of us kids now have the Spirits of Legendary Warriors, right?" I think he left me out because he wasn't sure that I even was supposed to get a Spirit. Or just didn't really care. "So tell me, even when we combined our forces, we still couldn't beat that stupid Grumblemon!"

Koji glanced away from the fire and looked at Takuya out of the corner of his eye, explaining the battle and how Beetlemon (apparently that's what JP's Spirit's name was). "At one point, we seemed to have the upper hand, but then…" He began to recall when Grumblemon changed into Gigasmon. "He Spirit Evolved into that crazy Gigasmon—" At the name, Koji's voice gained a poisonous feel.

I sat down across the fire from Koji and Takuya, as the goggle-headed boy said, "But he called it Beast Spirit." He watched as the fire suddenly grew in size. "Just what does that mean? Any clue?"

"It means," I answered, staring into the deep, mesmerizing flames, "we have a problem on our hands." I pulled my legs up to my chest, watching the fire crackle and flare wildly.

"The fire's ready, bring your apples!" Bokomon called to the other DigiDestined while holding a large handful of the strange fruits. At that remark, Zoe, JP, and Tommy all came running carrying a ton of those apples on sticks. I was pretty sure they had enough there to feed all of the white Digimon with the ear-wing-things that I saw in the Village of Flame.

They put the apples in the fire and sat around it. Takuya was again the first one to speak, saying, "Hey Bokomon, anything in your book about a Beast Spirit?" For once, he was staying on track with our objective in this world.

Bokomon gave him a confused glance. "I haven't seen anything."

"If it's not too much trouble, couldjya just take another look?" he questioned, almost sounding eager for something knew to learn about, and moreover, fight with. Things never changed with that rash kid. Always getting into some new sort of trouble—or if not, causing it.

"Certainly." Out of his tacky pink waistband, came out the ugly green book. It kinda made me wonder who was the one to write and publish it. "Let's see now…" He began to page rapidly through it. "Beast, Beast, Beast, Beast…" He stopped in the middle of the book. "I'm afraid I still don't see anything!"

Neemon began to rub on the page of the book, much to Bokomon's outward irritation, so much that he said for him to buzz off and proceeded with calling him a baggy. "But I think I found something!" came the rabbit's response as he pulled at a page. "This page seems to be folded over! Maybe there's other stuff inside!"

"Okay, how the heck did _Neemon _figure that out?!" I questioned in pure shock, noting the slight wisdom that the pant-wearing rabbit displayed. I would have expected some sort of reaction from everyone else, but I think they were too absorbed in what Bokomon was now saying to care.

He pulled out another part of the page. "Oh, it's a miracle. You're actually right. This changes everything. It seems there are two Spirits for each of the Legendary Warriors."

"Which means…?" I trailed off, though it seemed like no one heard me.

Bokomon continued as if I didn't say anything, "The first is the Human Spirit like Agunimon, but the second is called the Beast Spirit. That explains where Gigasmon came from. But how did he summon the Beast Spirit?"

Neemon put his hand to his chin. "I wonder what life would be like as a beastie?" he thought aloud.

Bokomon turned to his idiot friend. "Let's feed you to one and you can find out from the inside. Don't you realize what this means? This means that the children my have the power to Spirit Evolve again."

Koji looked into the fire while beginning to summarize what Bokomon had just explained. "Well, then, if Bokomon's right, each of us should be able to get a Beast Spirit."

"But if that's true, then we're only halfway there," Zoe stated, pretty much answering my question. What I didn't need was a comment from JP as well, and of course, it was some sort of complaint.

"Aww, man, it's like starting over!" he wailed, as a few statements came from the rest of the group, minus me and Koji.

At that moment, Neemon began tapping Bokomon in the back of the head. "Bokomon, Bokomon, Boko—ow!" He earned a swift whack from the radish-head Digimon, though he continued to tap. "Bokomon, Bokomon, Boko—ow!" He then turned toward the fire. "Is this a good idea?"

Bokomon glared at him. "What's the matter with you?" He suddenly jumped to his feet and got into a determined position. "We have to help you find your Beast Spirits as soon as possible! After all, it may be the only way to save the Digital World! We haven't even made it to the Forest Terminal! We're running out of time! These Beast Spirits must be our number one priority!"

Neemon didn't even move through any of that speech. "Nope, not good." It was suddenly apparent to his comrade that it wasn't the Beast Spirits he was referring to at that moment.

Bokomon turned and stared at the yellow rabbit. "What is not good?!"

Neemon pointed toward the fire. "The meat apples. While you're talking, they're burning up!" Of course. Food.

Suddenly, everyone dove at their apple, which was now burning to a crisp in the flames. I sighed, knowing that their next topic was going to be food, and got up, walking away from the fire. I wasn't really in the mood to eat, anyway.

I laid on the ground, my hands under my head, watching the night sky and the three moons glowing overhead. It was full of stars, so full of life. The night was warm, at a comfortable temperature and the only sound besides the conversation going on with everyone by the fire was the soothing whisper of the wind in the trees, singing of the clear, tranquil darkness.

But the serenity was only short-lasted; as of soon, dreary clouds blew over, blocking my perfect view of the heavens above. They seemed rather mysterious, the shadowy colors mixing together, a spell-binding scene.

My attention was turned away from above and to the forest that surrounded us from all sides. The trees were emitting an ominous, pale blue glow, making this wooded area all the more full of inscrutability, so much that I just had to get up and see them for myself, just as everyone else did.

When I got closer, I realized what the glow was. On the tree trunks were screens, like TVs, and on them, were scenes from the real world. Real life, going on while we were here, just as it was when we were there. Nothing seemed to have been changed in the slightest.

As everyone was taking in the sights of the real world, of places they knew, I looked at a single screen, immersed on what I was seeing. But not of pleasure or of any sort of happiness in seeing my world again. No, of anger. Of a jealous hate.

I watched as my mom sat a pan of food on the kitchen table as Yukio sat down, smiling. As my dad—who was always away on business trips, so I never saw him—sat down next to my brother and put his arm around him, also smiling. In a few moments, my mom joined them at the table and as they began to dish out the food—something we never did; we never even ate together—onto their plates, they were laughing, talking…as if I didn't even exist.

I knew it all along: They didn't care about me, they were better off without me. It was painful to see it with my own two eyes, witness it before me, feeling forgotten and without love, which I knew I was. I had to tell myself the truth, hear it coming out of my own mouth…

"They don't love me…they never did. In fact, they don't care if I'm gone…they don't care if I'm _dead_…" I banged my fists against the stupid tree. "Why doesn't anyone care?! They're just living their lives as if I never even existed! They never gave a _kuso_ if I was around!" At my outburst, everyone began to turn and look at me. But I wasn't doing this for show, I was too full of rage, too full of sadness, every emotion that made everyone stay away from me.

It became a tear-stained sensation. I couldn't care less if I cried in front of them now, I just couldn't stop. "I was only getting in the way of their happiness, I stood in the way of _this_." I stopped, taking a long strained breath. "Fine, then, maybe I won't go back, you—" I let out all of the curses and swear words I knew, even if they were out of context, yelling at my family, myself, and all of the lies I accepted and believed. Everything was against me, I could lay my trust in no one.

"And—and now, I'm here, where Yukio should be! I stole his phone, I stole his Spirit! I'm Legendary Warrior? What a load of crap! I'm supposed to protect the Digital World; how can I do that; I can't even face the truth?! This isn't even my destiny, why should I car about this stupid planet?! I should be at home, bearing that hellhole, not helping another!" I could feel my heart, pounding near out of my chest and fists were shedding crimson from beating the tree repeatedly. I didn't even feel that pain; it was the pain inside me that hurt.

I felt a light, warm hand on my shoulder and then heard Takuya's voice trying to soothe me, "Kaz, why don't you talk to us, then we'll understand, and maybe we can help you." That was the last thing I wanted; I didn't need them or anyone else. Putting up that façade of caring, I could do without that.

In an instant, my fist connected with his face, my voice like poison, "Does it look like I want you to understand?! Just back the hell off, it's not your problem!" My now fiery eyes cast him a glare full of anger and hatred.

Demi approached me feebly, as if he was actually scared of me and my wrath. "Ma—Mama…"

"Get away from me!" I gave him a swift kick of my leg and sent him against a tree. I didn't care how much agony I gave others now; it didn't lessen the sting of the feelings I had coursing through me.

I walked out of the clearing into the deep, dark forest and no one tried to stop me. That was good, I didn't want anyone to. I just wanted some time to—

Just thinking of the Element of my Spirit sent another wave of foul sentiment pulsing through me. I was a reprobate, I was angry, but most of all: I was alone and unloved. There was no one that cared about my health and my safety, my happiness or my sorrow. Not. One. Person.

"I should just face it…" I mumbled monotonously, staring at my blood-covered hands. I didn't bother watching where I was walking; I had no reason _not _to get lost. "I could die out here, no one will notice. Heck, they'd be glad if I'm out of their lives…" I pulled my hair out from under my hat and out of the ponytail, letting it cascade down my back, like a black waterfall.

"_Mirai…_" Deep red eyes appeared in the shadows of the night, glowing brightly, but concealing who they belonged to. The whispering voice sent an ice cold chill down my spine. "_Mirai Kimishima…_"

I was already on my guard, my D-Tector in my blood-stained grasp. If it was a fight they wanted, it was a fight they would get. "What do you want?!" I demanded sharply, daggers in my eyes and my voice.

"_Oh, you should know well of what I seek…thought there is no reason for you_ _to be so harsh. I'm your friend._" There was a hint of amusement and pleasure in his cold, devious voice.

"I have no friends," I growled back. "And what makes you so sure that I know what you want?!" I watched warily as the eyes shifted to my right, though still not leaving me.

He gave a slight chuckle, as if making me angry was nothing more than a little game to him. "_You don't have to think very hard, Legendary Warrior of Time. Because what I want is you._"

"And why do you assume that I would join with the likes of you?! What would you do for me?!" After seeing what was on that screen, I wasn't about to give my trust out to anyone that soon.

"_I know your soul, Mirai. I know your feelings—your very emotions._" He began to slowly circle around me, still in the shadows, but I kept my gaze straight forward in front of me. "_You feel rejected by everyone around you, especially your family. Your parents always treated Yukio as the favorite; you were just the unloved second child. The spare. The mistake._"

I bit my lip until I broke the skin. What he said was all true; all I was…I was nothing more than something else at home taking up space. I was stuck under Yukio's shadow, never seeing my own light.

He kept speaking, gathering that I wasn't going to reply to all that he had said. "_And at school. You used to have friends, but the changes you made with yourself drove them away. You pretend to not care about your loses, but deep down, you're just a scared little kid, begging for love. You blame others for this, for your pain and sufferings, but every time you look in the mirror, you know the truth._"

I decided finally that it was my turn to have a word. "It is their fault, all of it. I didn't choose this life, nor do I want it. But what does my life matter to you?" I wanted nothing to do with the beings of the Digital World; I just wanted to be alone to ponder all of my thoughts.

He didn't answer my question anyway. "_Do you not remember Koichi? Yukio blames you for what befell him._"

I stopped breathing for a moment and I felt my heart stop beating. "Ko-Koichi?" All of my thoughts turned to someone I vaguely remembered in an instant. He knew about Koichi, he could tell me everything I failed to remember. "_Nii-san?_"

He disappeared right before my eyes. "Wait!" I cried, lunging toward where I last saw the hypnotizing red eyes. I had lost my chance to get some sort of answer for any of my countless questions.

Putting my hair back up into the hat, I continued walking. It was almost pitch blackness, but I could dimly see the silhouettes of everything around me. Sure, I was lost and broken, but I felt I couldn't return to the group of which I had left behind. Nothing changed the feeling of isolation I had growing within me. I was alone; no one would side with me anyway.

The forest soon dispersed into a clearing of bright moonlight, there being three moons in the Digital World. I saw everything around me in shades of grays and faded tinges. Tall grass came up past my waist, making walking a little more difficult than it would have been.

I neared a large boulder and decided to turn in for the night, it being rather late. But something bothered me, so I picked up a stick and began to carve on the soft, warm soil more lyrics, "I'm tired of being what you want me to be. Feeling so faithless. Lost under the surface. I don't know what you're expecting of me. Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes…"

I sighed, more or less contented with the lyrics. I wasn't getting any happier at this point. So, sitting up on the rock, I watched the grass blowing in the breeze, waves on the ocean. It was quiet, leaving me to my thoughts without disturbance. Just the way I wanted it, alone and silent.

My thoughts began to run wild, question after question, thought after thought. _Who was that and why does he know so much about me? What does he know about Koichi?...God, I miss him…though I barely even remember him… Nii-san, what were you like? And just what happened to you? I want to remember…_


	12. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10, baby!! Chapter 11 is getting me perplexed presently, so it may be some time before I get that one posted, but I'm working as fast as I can. This week at school is semester exams, so I have to do a bit of studying (pfft, _me_ study? Any dumber and I'd be Davis)**

**Davis: I cannot dignifry that with a response**

**Me: uh...dignifry? You mean dignify, right? O.o**

**Davis: what did I say? **

**Me: *shakes head* never mind. wait what are you doing here anyway? this isn't even your season!**

**Davis: you told me to come, remember?**

**Me: uhhh.....oh yeah...you can just sit over there for now and...um, just sit there.**

* * *

Chapter 10

I was awakened abruptly by the annoying little beeping of my D-Tector. Glaring at the tiny little screen from being awakened at the crack of dawn (okay, maybe not literally) and when I realized the feminine voice wasn't going to say anything, I gritted my teeth, casting daggers in my eyes at it.

I wanted to throw my D-Tector on the ground and stomp on it. "What do you think you are an alarm clock?!" I growled, half of me expecting it to answer. But alas, my other half was right and all I got was silence.

I sighed in defeat, hopping off of the rock. The sky was bright, barely a single cloud in the cerulean blue sky. I didn't think it was too late in the morning, nine o'clock at the most, but one couldn't really be sure in a place such as the Digital World. For all I knew, the sun knew what I was thinking and was climbing the sky earlier just to annoy me. And with my luck, that could have easily been the case.

I began to walk without much purpose, pretty much in just a random direction of which wasn't the path I'd taken the night before. Anything that would keep me away from Takuya and his little posse was satisfying enough for me, though I knew the satisfaction of such a thing wouldn't last.

Suddenly, I heard yelling, the sound coming quickly closer. I jutted my head to the side, but nonetheless, too late in this. I was immediately hurled to the ground with enough force that I did a face plant into the dirt.

"Hey! This ground feels funny!"

I turned my head slightly and out of the corner of my I saw that something yellow and red was standing on my back. "_Nani yo_?! Neemon get the hell off of me!" I snapped, already my mood set.

I heard a snap, which I assumed was Neemon's waistband (hence the weird sound he made soon after), and Bokomon say, "Neemon, get off the poor boy or I'll shove you into the ground!" Well, someone had to do it.

I went into a crouch as I watched Koji, who apparently was the one that hit me in the first place, and this rock Digimon who seemed to have a rather large head stare at each other in silence.

Suddenly they both leapt onto their feet, Bokomon and Neemon clinging to Koji's shoulders. I stood up reluctantly, again watching the tension between the rock guy and the Warrior of Light.

"What is that?" Neemon blurted out, probably hoping that it was some sort of rock candy that he could sink his teeth into.

"A Gotsumon," Bokomon, knowing a heck of a lot of stuff, replied quickly. "They're living rocks, but they're basically kids. And can be real troublemakers, let me tell you."

"What do you want?" Koji growled rather quietly. He kept a wary gaze upon the Digimon composed of rocks.

Gotsumon turned away slightly. "Nothing, so what do you guys want?" he retaliated.

Koji also turned away. "Nothing, why do you care?"

Bokomon noticed that this conversation wasn't really going anywhere nor had a slim likeliness to proceed somewhere and so said, rather annoyed with both of them for their ignorance, "Well, if you're not going to ask, I will. Can you tell us how to get to Forest Terminal?"

The Gotsumon glanced at Bokomon, his bright yellow eyes saying that he thought he had the upper hand in this conversation. "Yeah, I could tell ya, but I'm not gonna!" Apparently, that small little detail made him overly smug.

I crossed my arms, watching in slight exasperation. This Digimon wasn't exactly one that I took kindly to, and his voice was as annoying as hell. "Well, things can only get worse from here…" I mumbled to myself.

Suddenly, Gotsumon took off running in the opposite direction, and so Bokomon pointed, commanding, "Well, follow him. C'mon, chop, chop!" _What are you a British slave driver? Who the heck says 'chop, chop', especially with an accent?_

Koji took off after the rock-head, wading through the tall grass with me right at his heels. "Don't tell me what to do!" he snapped at the radish head Digimon.

Bokomon was as demanding as ever. It was like he was the one that had to get to Forest Terminal, not us. Fine, if he wanted to go, he could on his own time. "But he knows something!"

We followed in much displeasure, the fact that a Digimon that we could probably squish under our feet ordering us around like we were his servants being the most irritating of it all. I had to restrain myself from just grabbing him off of Koji and dropping a boulder on him.

We approached the rock that I had slept upon the night before and saw the Gotsumon climb onto it. He immediately disappeared before our eyes as if he had the ability to teleport or something.

"C'mon!" Koji said, making his way up to the boulder. "He couldn't have gone far…" He examined it closely, though there was still no trace of the stubborn rock Digimon.

I glanced around warily. "Yeah, that's what he's hoping you'll think and before you know it, he will have caught you and made you his dinner." I crossed my arms and sighed in annoyance.

"That's real rational," Koji replied, casting me a 'Are you becoming as dumb as Takuya?' kind of glance. He turned his attention to the Gotsumon, wherever it was. "Look, kid, we're not going anywhere, okay? Just come out!"

Gotsumon faded into view, moaning, "Oh, okay." He turned to Koji and gave the best sly smile a Digimon that was compiled of rocks could give. "I'm still not going to tell you anything."

Bokomon raised his fist at him. "You are just a little rat!"

"Doesn't look like a rat to me…" I cut in, mumbling more or less to myself. I assumed he paid no attention to me or just didn't hear my rather dull remark because he just continued.

"I don't think I've ever seen such a disrespectful Digimon!" _Ooh, I'm sure that would hurt him real badly._

"Yeah, so what if I am?!" Came Gotsumon's response. He seemed to be taking all of the insults and offending comments, either returning some sort of response, or just taking them like 'yep, that's me. so what?'

Suddenly, he perked up and climbed on top of the rock, keeping his eyes on one of the peaks before us. A giant chunk disappeared from the side of it and the now overhanging rock above it split and fell to the ground. Fleeing from the scene were many Gotsumon, but behind them, overshadowed one, tall figure.

"Slide Evolution!" The figure boomed, changing into a smaller form. "Grumblemon!" He began to approach. "Where is Spirit?"

"It's Grumblemon!" Koji exclaimed, as if it wasn't already obvious from the creepy little voice who the Digimon was.

"Thanks for the info, Captain," I mumbled, my eyes not once trailing back to him. I glared daggers at Grumblemon, though I'm sure he didn't pay any mind to my petty presence for a second.

"No!" Gotsumon leapt off the rock and faced the dwarf-gnome-thing. "He can't get away with this! I won't let him!"

"You're crazy! You can't fight that guy! Leave him to me!" Koji pulled out his D-Tector and climbed up on the rock. "Just watch this! Execute! Spirit Evolution!" He was veiled in a casement of Code. "Lobomon!" He jumped off the rock and ran toward where Grumblemon was destroying the land with Bokomon and Neemon following close behind.

"He turned into a Digimon!" Gotsumon exclaimed in wonder. "And not just any Digimon, a Legendary Warrior! Maybe there's hope yet…"

I gripped my own D-Tector in my palm. "Word of advice, Gotsumon. You never underestimate Koji." Gotsumon gave me a weird look as I continued, "But…are you just going to stand there? There's a difference between a big head and bravery, you know."

He sent me an irritated look. "You're just standing there, human. You think you're doing work?" he questioned, rather annoyed that I was speaking, but not acting. He probably assumed I was just as bad at assistance as he was.

"I'm doing my job…" I turned away as Lobomon's figure disappeared. "I'm looking out for Koji."

I took a few steps and looked back, seeing as Gotsumon hadn't moved. "_Kuso atama_, you're coming too. If I have to tie you up and drag you along, then so be it." I cast him a look that said 'make me do that and I'll kill you as well'.

He gave a slight nod and led the way toward the battle that had thus begun between Gigasmon and Lobomon. Gigasmon punched the ground with both fists and the ground split into many large fragments, tremors arising and dust clouding up the sky.

Gotsumon quickly passed by Bokomon and Neemon, who were back a ways from the battle, ignoring their presence completely.

"You're going to get squashed!" Bokomon shouted, though making no attempt to stop the rock Digimon.

I approached them, stopping to catch my breath momentarily. "That's a no duh bigger than your head." I began to trail behind Gotsumon, still grasping my D-Tector in my hand. I would use it if need be. And since it was Gigasmon, I figured I would eventually have no choice.

I followed Gotsumon, keeping distance between us to decrease the chances of being spotted by Gigasmon. And being shot.

I jumped over a newly-made chasm made by the tremors, nearly not making it over and falling to my death. Luckily, there was a small ledge a few yards within the break in the earth. I didn't hit it too hard, since I landed in a fairly protective crouch. Though I didn't know how safe my location was because by the looks, the rock above me could crash down at any given moment.

"Now's a good time for Gryphanimon…wait, what is that thing?" I squinted at a falling red object a few meters before me that was shining a crimson light. It bounced from ledge to ledge, fast on its way to the bottom.

"That looks rather important…unless it's just an empty can of Coke." I shook my head, knowing I couldn't take that risk. Besides, a Coke would provide some normality here in this world, maybe some reminiscence of the real world.

I got to my feet and climbed down to it, guided by its beaconing light. As I neared, I figured it was either a red rock of some, weird, Digital sort or the Coca-Cola Company got new, glowing cans. I was moreover leaning toward the rock theory. Though Coca-Cola should really consider my idea.

I saw that the rock had come to rest on a ledge about six feet below me. I decided to take my slim chances and jump the rest of the way. But my chances, being as thin as a thread, made me slip on the rock when I landed and fall down the crevice. My instincts going into desperation, I grabbed onto the ledge. This, I knew, could prove to be a slight problem.

"Kuso. Now of all times, I decide to slip on something. And why does what I slip on always glow?" I let out an exasperated sigh, knowing that I would fall if I tried to grab my D-Tector and even if I managed to get it, Gryphanimon's wingspan was too wide for the gap and all in all, I'd be stuck.

Suddenly, I felt a force drive me upward. I looked back and saw a distortion in the shape of some sort of beast. When I gazed at it a while, its eyes began to illuminate a vivid color and then fade back into nothingness.

_A big Digimon that can turn invisible. That could only mean bad news…_I mentally rolled my eyes and let out a light exhale. "Hey, why did you help me?" My voice came off fairly snappish and rough, but that's normally how I reacted to—okay, just about everyone and everything, with the exception of Koji.

The transparent Digimon remained silent as he set me on the ledge that the rock had previously been. Since then, the rock had ricocheted off from the force of my landing and wedged itself between two cracks in the wall. Its glow was substantially blocked, so could only be seen faintly.

I kept my gaze off it; however, since this Digimon veiled in mystery and obscurity could turn out to be a precarious foe, though it was seemingly reasonable to believe that it was on my side.

I bowed my head slightly. "Thank you," I peeped softly, the words hard to choke out of my lips. Thank you's and pleases were never one of my strong suits. But then again, any kind of communication was hard for me. I was a soloist: I tapped to my own, unique beat.

The near-invisible beast turned slightly and drifted off. "_I helped you because I had a command to keep you alive. For now._"

I watched as the creature disappeared completely. "For now, huh? Why do I always get death threats from things I can't see?" I mumbled, holding the annoyance that was boiling up inside me, bottling it up in my heart and mind. "Another enemy. Grumblemon has to go down first…"

I reached into the small cavity in the rock and pulled out the red rock that was now glowing like it was trying to take over the sun's job since its light was now released to the spacious, musty air. While pulling it out, my arm chafed against the sharp rock and opened a long, painful slice in my skin.

I let a small grunt, knowing that even there was no one around, pain showed weakness, and tried my hardest to ignore the crimson that soon covered my arm. I shoved the rock into my pocket and climbed out of the crevice.

"Kazuma! Make haste, my boy! Koji has been hurt!" Bokomon waved to me as he and Neemon were running to…someplace.

But I didn't care where we were going. What the radish-head had said had caught my full attention and in an instant, I was in a sprint and right behind them. It was like some kind of instinct was activated, I didn't run out of energy the entire way, which was to the home of the Gotsumon, pretty much a hole in the side of a small mountain.

"Is there anything we can do?" Bokomon asked, him and Neemon on both sides of Koji, who seemed rather exhausted and in hidden pain. His eyes were closed and almost looked like he was asleep.

"No," he replied flatly.

A little clam full of this weird green powder (kinda reminded me of catnip) went flying onto the table-thingy before us. "This will make you feel better," said Gotsumon, the one that was only distinct from the others because of the magnifying glass around his neck and his stubborn, child-like nature we knew already so well.

"I don't need anyone's help." Koji cast a glare that clearly said 'back the hell off' at the rock-head. His attitude reminded me of myself, cold, distant, anything that would describe someone that refused assistance.

"Yeah, I can tell. You did such a great job yourself." He began to walk away from us, smugness written all over his stony face.

"So? You can't do better." Doubt was drawn into the lines of Koji's face, knowing of Gotsumon's lack of strength.

"Well, I'll be a hero and I won't need any help like you do!" He moved the rock that acted as a door to the Gotsumon's home and was preparing to depart.

"No! You'll just make Grumblemon angry with us!" one of the other Gotsumon cried, grabbing onto his shoulder.

"He's right! Don't make trouble for the rest of us!" said another.

Gotsumon swatted them away as Koji stated, "Look, kid, you just don't stand a chance." His eyes remained firm, supporting his words and proving that he wasn't kidding around.

Gotsumon spun around and sent him a glare. "Yeah, maybe I don't, but I can't do any worse than you! I know that for sure! Some Legendary Warrior!" He exited the cave. "And the rest of you are no better!"

"Well, there he goes off to save the world on his own," said the first Gotsumon, watching his comrade disappear into the distance.

"Crazy kid's got rocks in his head!" exclaimed the other. "If you ask me, that kid's gonna get us all destroyed!" _Pleasant thought._

"Yes, there's no hope for us now unless he really does find the Spirit!"

I exchanged shaken glances with Koji as the black-haired boy exclaimed, "The Spirit?! If Grumblemon gets that, I'll never stop him!"

I gave a small scowl, thinking of the outcome of two possible enemies: one invisible beast and one powered-up garden gnome. And I didn't think that a wood splitter would kill the gnome like back home. At least then the gnome didn't fight back when I chopped it into millions of pieces.

"Kaz, you're leaking!" Neemon yelled, pointing at the gouge in my arm. _Great, more attention. Just what I need…_

"Kazuma, are you all right?" Bokomon questioned, drawing even more awareness to me. That was the last thing that I wanted or felt I needed. I wanted to crawl under a rock and just sit there alone. Okay, maybe Koji could come too…

"I'm fine," I grumbled, giving Koji a look that said 'kill me now and get it over with. I'll even say please.' "_Jikoku e ike_…" My words came out as a whisper that I wasn't sure that anyone heard aside from me and judging by his look, Koji.

His eyes were a crystal, icy blue. Gazes and looks I've never seen were imprinted into his irises, holding emotions I wasn't used to seeing in them. They were shining like the ocean at sunset and twice as astounding.

When his eyes hit mine, I immediately felt no pain; I almost had forgotten I was hurt. Heck, I felt lying on a bed of cotton balls in the warm sunshine…well, whatever that felt like 'cause last time I checked, I had never even seen a cotton ball bed. But, whatever, I would take the chance if given to lie on one.

Bokomon crossed his arms and shook his head. "Kids, these days. Always think they can do things on their own." He shot glances at both me and Koji. "Someday you two will learn that you can't always reject help. There will come a time when there will be something you can't handle on your own."

Neemon decided this was a good time to put a word or two in. Whatever he could manage. "Yeah, like when you're old and you can't bend over to tie your own shoes!" he exclaimed, smiling like a _kuso atama_.

*SNAP!* Bokomon pulled Neemon's waistband and released, causing the yellow rabbit to wail and fall over. But then Bokomon put his fingers to his chin and noted, "Well, actually that's a good illustration." He grabbed Neemon's waistband again and pulled him back up onto his feet.

"As good as a horse doing the samba!" *SNAP!*

Bokomon sighed in his lack of patience for the yellow rabbit with spandex. "Just when I thought you were starting to make sense…"

* * *

We made our way to a bunch of weird stone pillar things that had giant faces (actually it was 90% nose) that the Gotsumon had told us the Spirit was said to be resting. The pillar-face-things kinda freaked me out; three stony mostly-nose-faces staring at you with their…okay, they didn't really have eyes, but whatever. I wished I could throw those into a wood splitter as well.

"They said it had an inscription, but I don't see it," Bokomon stated, running his hand over Koji's symbol of Light that was carved into the base of the middle face.

Neemon also ran his hands over it, as if he could by some chance make any sense of it. "Abracahoozits!"

"But that's the same mark as Lobomon," Bokomon inquired, gazing down at it as Koji approached, his D-Tector in his hand. "I wonder if that means that Koji's Beast Spirit is here somewhere."

"Yeah, maybe the abracahoozits are hiding it…" I mumbled, not exactly too thrilled with being dragged place to place by the radish-head by the demand that maybe me and my Spirit will be needed, we should stay together for safety, yadda yadda yadda.

"Sure!" Neemon agreed happily. He turned and saw Koji pressing buttons on his D-Tector. "What are you doing now?"

"The D-Tector can sense Spirits," Bokomon replied, annoyed with his friend's ignorance, "How can you possibly live here and not know these things?"

"'Cause I'm not a D-Tector, am I?" He seemed rather proud of the rather dull response he gave. But then again, I couldn't complain: I didn't know it could sense Spirits either, but I didn't feel like admitting that.

I turned to Koji. "Get anything yet?" I questioned.

He gazed up at the weird face-statue-pillar-thing. "Not yet…" He seemed rather disappointed, but I could understand why. Grumblemon was getting fairly aggravating since it seemed like no one could defeat it. But I knew my turn to try would be soon.

Suddenly, an explosion and a large cloud of dirt and dust arose in the distance just beyond the forest, bringing us to full attention. Wary as we were, we could never seem to shake that guy, or at least put him into the back of our minds.

"Uh-oh, not Gigasmon again," Koji grumbled, annoyed as I was with the creepy Legendary Warrior of Earth.

I crossed my arms. "If it isn't him, then something must be totally wrong with the world. It's always him; annoying as it is, it's the ways of nature," I scoffed mindlessly, as I normally did when I was talking to Koji: just blabbing on and on randomly. "Stupid nature."

"Maybe he's found Takuya and the others," Bokomon suggested in a tone that made it seem like he was glad that they were being beaten the _kuso_ out of them, which we were all pretty certain Gigasmon was doing.

"C'mon, let's go." Koji didn't wait for a response from anyone and just began to walk away. His mind was made up and the likeliness of him changing it was the thickness of Takuya's intention span.

"Wait! What about the Spirit?"

Koji didn't take that response either. "Later."

I honestly didn't want to help Takuya or his stupid little group. If they were traveling by themselves, then they should be able to handle what comes to them. If not, they should just back off and go home while they still had a chance. At least their homes would welcome them back with loving arms. It was more than I had. They had the comfort of knowing that their parents will greet them with tears and a heartfelt salutation when they got home. When I get home, all I'll get is a good speech from my parents and a pissed of Yukio for stealing his phone.

Koji noticed I wasn't coming and stopped, turning to look me in the eyes as Bokomon and Neemon continued on. "Mirai, are you feeling okay?" he questioned lightly.

I gave a slight nod. "Yeah, I guess. In the mood for—"

He cut me off, grinning rather deviously. "A hug?" he asked, rather jokingly, the smile on his face still holding the slyness but added some real, full-fledged concern and slight sorrow.

I didn't want to admit it, but that's the one thing that I felt like I wanted. I hated any close contact, but a warm embrace seemed so tempting and convivial. I hadn't gotten any of that close love from my parents in so many years, so much that I just tore away from them completely. I hadn't realized until this moment that this contact that I suddenly began to crave was something I really missed and needed.

Before I knew what I was doing, I was walking toward him, my head pointed downward at my shoes. I had no control of myself; an unknown force that just wasn't of my own consciousness was driving me toward him. I was helpless, but either way, I didn't even try to stop myself.

His skin was warm against mine as I wrapped my arms around him. After a moment of confusion, Koji's perplexed look faded into a nonchalant one. He didn't seem that irritated, only a bit surprised at first. But I became less absorbed in his facial expressions and more concentrated on the serenity of this once-in-a-lifetime-I-get-to-hug-Koji-and-not-you-ha-ha moment.

I felt an instant adrenaline, a fuzzy warmness enveloping me. I didn't want to let go of Koji. I didn't care if the world was being destroyed all around us: this was the one thing I was missing for the past years. I had to make up for lost…_okay, I'll shut up now._ _Does Koji cause EVERYONE to babble like an idiot?_

Koji was the first one to break away from the embrace that he most likely was joking about, seemingly uncomfortable with the previous moment. His skin was a light pink, but I knew that was all my fault. I always seemed to have some, abnormal effect on people. I remembered I once made a lawyer become a zookeeper because I blurted out that he looked like he'd be best friends with a fruit bat.

He rubbed the back of his head, keeping his gaze away from me. "Well, I know a few people I'm not going to mention this to…" He trailed off, his voice a mere mumble. "But we should go help them…" He glanced off into the distance, where the explosion had occurred moments before.

"All right," I replied lightly, which was just the opposite of the color of my face. It was a deep crimson, out-reddening a ripest of cherries. "Oh and by the way…" I paused, waiting for Koji to turn my way. "Thank you."

He turned away again. "Well, you really didn't give me much choice. I was only kidding, I hope you know. I never expected you to take me seriously."

I agreed with him as well. I never considered ever getting that close to Koji, unless it was in a very, very pleasant dream sent by God above. It was the one time I was thankful for the little voice that always nags me in my head. It took control and wouldn't let me stop it. _Maybe it was the Spirit of Gryphanimon…_

We ran for the battle that we could hear ongoing. There was no sign of Bokomon and Neemon, so I assumed they had taken shelter somewhere that they could view that battle, like they were watching a movie or something. I had to wonder whether they'd help or not if everyone else were defeated.

I stopped suddenly, but Koji didn't notice, changing into Lobomon and joining the battle with a Howling Laser attack on Gigasmon. I felt there was something I had to do that needed my attention more than the battle.

I crouched down into the dirt and with a stick, carved in more song lyrics, '_You reached me in my need, your rhythm flows under my skin. I need you desperately, a sweet healing that will begin_.'

After finished, I arose and straightened myself. Now I had to go assist Koji in battle, if it wasn't too late. Either way, I couldn't take that chance and just walk away from him, hoping for the best. No matter if he was strong and reliable; I couldn't just up and leave. Besides, where would I go anyway?

I saw Lobomon grasping Grumblemon by what seemed to be the collar of his DigiShirt (Where did that come from?) and holding him above the ground, his feet dangling about four feet from the ground.

"How'djya like that?" Lobomon questioned, seeming rather smug with his feat, whatever it was.

Grumblemon just dangled there, smiling like he had something big planned, something bigger than him. "Not too bad," he replied, as if it was a normal conversation and someone could kill him right then and there.

"What's the matter? Don't you want my Spirit anymore?" _Well, that depends. Do you _want_ him to take it?_

"Still got couple tricks up sleeve!" He pulled out of nowhere two large mallets and swung them at Lobomon.

But the Warrior of Light bent back and avoided being caught in between the spikes on the mallets. "Here's some magic for you!" He lifted his foot and struck the annoying garden gnome in the chest, making him fly back. At the chance, Lobomon took off running.

"You pay for that! Slide Evolution!" Grumblemon was veiled in Fractal Code and Digivolved into the much larger, nude, rhino Digimon. "Gigasmon!" He began a chase after Lobomon.

I gritted my teeth, running after them. I pulled out my D-Tector and looked upon it. "It's my turn." I held out my hand before me and it became wrapped in a ring in Data. "Execute! Spirit Evolution!" I felt the Data encase me and the feeling of power overcome me. "Gryphanimon!"

I took flight and trailed behind Gigasmon. He released a Quagmire Twister attack and struck Lobomon in the back. He went flying back into the center pillar and his Data became visible.

"I won't let you…" I growled, readying an attack. "Tempest Arrow!" I launched an arrow from the plate on my arm and it froze Gigasmon in time. "Koji!" I swooped down at Gigasmon. "Strike of Thoth!" I struck the immobile Digimon with my serrated paw, doing damage, but since it didn't seem like much.

Gigasmon suddenly jutted his head toward me. "New Spirit to take! Spirit of Time!" He put on a grin that only a naked rhino could do. "Quagmire Twister!" He began to spin rapidly and struck me. I lacked strength to stay in the air and crashed to the ground, De-Digivolving in the process.

"I got you now!" Gigasmon ran at Lobomon, who was at the point of De-Digivolving. His expression was power-hungry and just pure evil. Someone like that just had to be stopped.

Out of nowhere, Gotsumon leapt in front of Koji, blocking Gigasmon's path. "Rock Fist!" Boulders appeared out of nothingness and collided with the Warrior of Earth.

I pulled out the rock that had been in my pocket for the last while, feeling like it was connected somehow. "Koji catch!" I threw the red stone to him and luckily, my aim wasn't too far off and he caught it.

"The third jewel!" Gotsumon exclaimed. "Hey, put that in the statue and hurry! When the third eye shines, the Legendary Spirit will awaken!"

"Go, Koji! Get your Spirit!" I yelled out, my heart beating as if I was in Gotsumon's place and I was at the point of destruction.

Gigasmon was beating on the rock Digimon, punching him repeatedly. But even through the pain, he kept shouting for Koji to put the jewel (so it's not a Coke can then?) into the statue.

Koji's eyes glistened a determined hue as he grabbed a vine and made his way to the other side of the statue. He inserted the jewel into a cylindrical hole and a bright light began to glow on the top of the statue as they all began to rotate around in a hundred-eighty degree turn.

A bright red laser shot from each of their eyes and nailed Gigasmon directly. I didn't think it was purposely, he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Yeah, well, sucks to be him.

"What the hell?! He disintegrated!" I exclaimed, not realizing that he just burrowed into the ground for safety and jumping to my feet. But I immediately found that to be a bad idea and fell back down. But before I hit the ground, I felt someone grab me.

I glanced back and immediately, my eyes narrowed. "Oh…you." I glared daggers at him as he grinned sheepishly. I pulled away from his grasp and rested myself on the ground.

"You okay, Kaz?"

I kept my gaze off of him. "I don't need your help, Takuya."

I watched in wonderment as the ground broke and from it, a small wolf-like figurine arose, levitating and veiled in light. If only Gigasmon had truly disintegrated, then everything would be totally perfect.

"The Spirit…" Koji mumbled, his D-Tector beginning to make weird noises. His eyes glowed a misty aura as he reached his feet and held the D-Tector before him with both hands. "Beast Spirit!"

The little figurine Spirit flew over Gigasmon's head and was sucked into Koji's D-Tector (it reminded me that of a vacuum cleaner). His hand became veiled in many bands of Data. "Execute! Beast Spirit Evolution!" He was shrouded into an encasement of Fractal Code that seemed to have static flowing through. "KendoGarurumon!"

The Beast that stood before us was a silver and gold wolf with golden-colored wings that didn't seem like they'd be used for flying. Blue bands wrapped around various parts of his body.

"Why'd he find his first?" Takuya questioned, jealousy easy to hear in his voice as he stared at Koji.

"Because you suck…" I mumbled, recollecting what happened back when Koji had gotten his first Spirit and the goggle-wearing wonder had De-Digivolved in the spur of the moment and knocked the Warrior of Light into a hole.

"I could have done that," JP stated, as if becoming a Beast was something he did on a daily basis. But I wasn't exactly one to judge, since I didn't know what he did in his spare time, nor did I really want to find out.

I nearly burst out laughing. What he just said was a complete load of _kuso_. I would have hated to see what JP would have looked like if he had gotten the Spirit of AncientGarurumon. _Wait, how did I know that?_

Gigasmon gazed at KendoGarurumon. "Hey, there. Nice doggy. Sit!" he commanded, as if Koji would actually bother to listen to the likes of him._ Yeah, since when did wolves listen to rhinos?_

KendoGarurumon let out a growl and little wheels lowered from his heels and spun up a heck of a lot of dirt, and spread out his pretty little wings.

I stared while questioning, "Uh…since when did Koji have, erm…training wheels?" I cocked my head to one side as I heard Takuya chuckle at my rhetorical question.

He sped suddenly, ramming directly into a tree.

"Oh-no! Koji can't control the Beast Spirit yet!" Bokomon exclaimed, gathering what he said from seeing Koji just face plant into a tree.

"Heh, looks like things not so bad for me after all!" Gigasmon stated, rather uplifted by Koji's outmost weakness. He lunged at KendoGarurumon.

KendoGarurumon noticed the approaching Warrior of Earth and thus began to run toward, which would if they both followed through, would make a collision. And of course, neither one of them backed down and instantly the entire area was covered with a bright, white light.

The entire cliff that held the statues crumbled and was cast into the sea below, as was Gigasmon, who was screaming like there was no tomorrow as he fell into the deep, ocean depths.

The dust cleared, revealing KendoGarurumon standing a mere few yards before us, his eyes aglow a vivid cerulean. He growled at us and at that moment, one thing became clear to me: He thought we were his enemies.

I glanced back behind me out of the corner of my eye, mumbling out, "Takuya, take everyone and leave. I can handle this." I never felt surer of anything in my entire life; something I could take control of, something that I could do to make a difference. I truly believed that I could get through to Koji.

"What? You think you can stop him on your own?! Kaz, you have to be able to trust us!" Takuya always seemed to be trying to get me to go against my own words and beliefs and tried to make me see things his and only his way.

I averted my gaze back to KendoGarurumon, making sure not to try get into Takuya's head just to try to imagine what he was thinking. I come off in the wrong way when I do that. "Yes, I really do. So if you want to go and get in my way, I won't let you. I feel this is the thing I should be doing."

Takuya still persisted, but I should have known he would. "Don't try to be the hero here! Being a hero is knowing when to ask for help and having the courage to do it! So what you're being right here is just plain stubborn!"

I sighed. "Again with the yelling? Maybe if you stop judging people at first glance, you'll see the person I really am!" The words just fell out of my mouth, like an uncontrollable instinct. For some reason, I actually wanted him to figure out who I was. _So I had a right for vengeance? No, that doesn't seem right…_

I took a step towards KendoGarurumon, outspreading my arms out just a little, since I felt awkward doing so. "Koji, it's me. You don't want to hurt me, I know you don't." I normally didn't come off that lightly, so my tone sounded weird in my mouth to me. It was like a persona that wasn't even mine.

"Lupine Laser!" A bright beam shot from KendoGarurumon's mouth, forcing me to hit the deck in a small summersault.

There was pleading in my eyes. "Koji, I don't want to have to fight you. This isn't you and I know the real you wouldn't be doing this." The previous casualties that I had were starting to take their toll on my current actions. Movement came hard and painful, but my determination drove me forward.

"Kaz, get out of there before you get yourself killed!" Cries came from all those who were standing and watching me throw my own life away. _They don't really care if I live or die. They just don't want it on their pretty, perfect consciences…Kuso._

KendoGarurumon lunged at me and I narrowly avoided being mauled by his large set of claws. Exhaustion was taking over me and so was my lack of self-control. But I had to focus, keeping my cool would be the best solution. Yet patience wasn't exactly one of my best virtues.

"Koji, I know you're still there. You just have to fight the force that opposes, fight the power of the Beast Spirit." My voice seemed rather steady. In fact, I wasn't really at all in fear or nervousness. _It's Koji, that's why. I have a reassurance that he won't do anything to harm me. I just have to keep that faith…_

He growled a low warning. I held my ground, though how foolish that would be, I didn't really have much time to think it through. Nor did I think of considering the action of maybe fleeing for my own safety. I was acting stupid, yes, but I wasn't an idiot. Running just never came to my mind.

KendoGarurumon battered me onto my back and I couldn't do anything but stare up into his eyes. They were filled with anger and hatred, but there was one dividing force I could see: They weren't Koji's emotions.

"Koji, you have to take control of the Spirit. You wouldn't let anyone control _you_, you're too strong for that. Especially something that is destined to be bonded with you…" I let out a small exhale. "And I know that you wouldn't consciously hurt me, you're Light. Love and kindness; Light's just not a beaconing force, it's also the purity of the heart. And your heart's pure, too pure to be doing this…" I then noticed that I was choking up. I didn't know why. And where these words were coming from.

KendoGarurumon didn't ease; however, he just stood there gazing down at me, a growl still welling up from his throat. He could kill me right then and there if he so desired, but he didn't, and that proved my trust: Koji was still there fighting.

_That's right, Minamoto. You don't take orders from anyone. Your Spirit is a wolf for a good reason… _I gulped back on-coming tears, ignoring the ones that had already fallen, and continued, "You're the only one I can talk to honestly, Koji. You listen to my words and my problems, and never seem to care what I hide and what I say. You tolerate my ever-changing mood and are forever patient. You brought out a new side of me that I never thought I had and you allowed me to be with you and never cast me away…" There was still one thing lingering in my mind. I had to say it. "You hugged me, Koji. I'm sure you remember it. You remember the little things, things that happened just today and long ago. I don't know much about your past, but I'll be here to listen. You don't have to say a thing if you don't want to. But just don't forget that I'm not your enemy. You have to break through. So that maybe…maybe…" I had to choke out the next words. They came hard, but I couldn't say wasn't rather glad that I was too far from Takuya and his group for them to hear distinct words. "I can hug you again…"

KendoGarurumon suddenly was enveloped in a blue cocoon of Fractal Code and in a few moments, Koji appeared in his place, worn out and with a few cuts and bruises here and there.

"Can't believe that did it…" I mumbled, letting my head drop onto the dirt with a slightly painful thud and closed my eyes. But that didn't compare to the aches and pains I felt in pretty much every other limb in my body.

"Mirai…"

I looked up at Koji, who was wobbling slightly above me. His eyes were clear now, though stained with apologetic and grief-stricken emotions. There was no rage or hate, but then again, there never really was. It wasn't him in the first place.

He cracked a small smile, though it seemed to slightly pain him to do such a small action. "Thank you…"

I exchanged the same, dainty smile. "Hey, Koji…" I trailed off, waiting for the response of a 'yeah?' which I got near instantly. "When's lunch?"

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Takuya and his little posse come running toward, all with mixed expressions, and the one that I could distinguish the fastest being Takuya's how-the-heck-did-you-do-that-never-mind-I-could-do-that-too look. Same old Takuya, still trying to best everyone.

"Magnifico! Kazuma, you did it!" Zoe squealed, with a look on her face that made me think she wanted to run up to me and kiss me all over. She thought I was a guy, so my theory was plausible. Though there wasn't a chance that I would let her follow through with that.

Takuya probably would have slapped me on the back if I hadn't been lying on the ground. "To be honest, Kaz, I don't think _anyone_ believed you would really pull through. But I believed you could all along!" He grinned.

I scowled in annoyance. "You don't know how little support I get from that…" I stared up at the sky directly above me, its pleasant blue color reminding me of the ocean back home. Never would I have dreamt of being in a place such as this. It was too beautiful, minus the annoying voices that always seemed to be whispering in my ear and the people that always seem to want me blown up.

"You're okay, right Koji?" Tommy asked the worn Warrior of Light, who was rather pale-faced and still swaying back and forth. I was overall surprised that he was still on his feet. But I usually always mention things too soon.

His smile lightened, nearly fading off of his face completely. "Never been better…" He let out a hoarse sigh and collapsed to the ground. Right on top of me.

I let out a grunt as I turned my head in order for my lips to stay clear of his. I wasn't fine with this, since I already had been sore from previous injuries. But I was more contented than if it was someone else, but irritation was printed on my face. _This isn't exactly what I meant when I wanted to hug you again. Ugh._

"Hey, uh, can you get him off of me?" I questioned roughly, against my own desires. He was warm and though he was hurting the _kuso _out of me, his essence was rather soothing to me. And besides, I was sorta cold.

Takuya and JP pulled Koji off of me, but I remained lying on the ground. I didn't have the inspiration to move, and the soreness that enveloped me decreased my desire of unnecessary movement.

_This…is going to be a very long day…_


	13. Chapter 11

**Well, this one went rather well. I finished it quickly even though I had a lot of exam studying to do--**

**Davis: you don't study.**

**Me: you're one to talk. well, aaanyway--**

**Davis: can i be in this chapter? **

**Me: not a chance, Sparkles (don't ask about the nickname. looong story). besides i'll be starting an 02 'fic afterwards anyway, so you'll have a big role in it. Unless i suddenly change my mind at the last second, you'll get a girl too. **

**Davis: Kari?**

**Me: no.**

**Davis: crud. TK always gets so lucky... *starts mumbling to self***

**Me: *sweatdrops* well, anyway, here's chapter 11...oh yeah, and don't ask why i have such a big hatred for Lekismon. the evil bunny... (another looong story)**

* * *

Chapter 11

Nightfall soon arose and we made camp in a small clearing in the forest. It was against my better judgment to stay with them, but their persistence didn't give me too much choice. And because when I refused, Takuya decided it was a good idea to drag me by the ankles.

I stoked the fire with a stick, aligning the burning logs as I desired and making the flames grow in intensity. I stared into the blue blaze burning in the center, watching the designs and shapes dance with gentle grace.

Takuya sat down next to me, gazing into the flames momentarily before turning to me, "Kaz, I just wanted to say you did a good think today for Koji. I guess I got a bad first impression of you and thought wrong this entire time." He grinned, holding out his gloved hand. "Friends?"

I kept my gaze in the fire. "Not a chance in hell," I growled. "But…" I saw his expression change to a glare out of the corner of my eye. "I have a question…Where's DemiVeemon?"

Until this moment, the little blue dragon had never crossed my mind. I was assured by my memories that he was probably crushed and all of his faith in me as his 'mother' shattered.

He glanced at me briefly, his expression changing back to a devious, little smile. "So you _do_ care about him? That's real cute, Mommy." He snuck a look at the hate carved into the lines of my face and laughed slightly. "He hung around with me for a while, referring to me as Davis for whatever reason—" He paused to shrug. "—But now, he's over there, amusing himself by zipping and unzipping Koji's shoes. Repeatedly." He gave a small gesture to the on-going scene a few yards away.

Koji was watching with slight irritation as Demi played with the zipper on his blue and white shoes. Unzip. Zip. Unzip. Zip. And so on and so forth. When he got bored with one shoe, he'd go to the other, finding new entertainment.

I stood up and walked over to Warrior of Light and his ehem… 'son'. I gave him a small, somewhat pleasant smile while questioning, "When is it my turn to play with your shoes?"

He glanced up at me, cracking the smallest of grins. "Depends if he brakes the zippers before he's done." He glanced down at the occupied Digimon, slight amusement in his eyes.

I crouched down, cringing a little at the movement of my joins. "Demi…"

The little dragon turned at my voice and his eyes turned to a look of fear and grief, his crimson irises clouded over with timid emotions. _Demi's afraid of me…He's truly afraid of me…_

"Demi, I'm sorry about before. I completely lost it and totally flipped out. It just totally wasn't like me to act like that—" I didn't want to mention that I normally had some anger management problems that I just never really solved. "I'm sure I hurt you, I know for a fact that I did. Physically and emotionally. And…" I didn't really know how to continue. I used up all of my sentimental words with Koji and had none left.

His eyes were wide and staring, my words not having an impact. Simple apologetic words weren't a quick fix; things never really ever seemed that easy. And Demi wasn't really that of fast acceptance. No, just the opposite.

He hopped onto his little feet, his eyes fiery and passionate on his feelings. "You lie! You don't love me!" He suddenly took off into the deep, shadowy forest.

I didn't take a second to think, a sudden rash personality took over me, and I pursued after him. "DemiVeemon!" Thoughts started streaming through my mind; he could go anywhere and get caught up in a _kuso_ load of danger, especially with his petit, crushable size.

But only in a few moments of sprinting in the direction I had assumed Demi had gone, what I should have known if I had properly thought this through, I had completely lost track of the little dragon _and _managed to get myself lost all wrapped up into one single mess. Not exactly one of my best moments.

I sighed at my own stupidity. "Crap, I got carried away…" I mumbled to no one in particular, just making a voice to fill the emptiness of the night. "I'll never find him; I should have waited until morning to begin my search…Mirai, you've officially hit a level that insanity cannot compare to…"

I ran my fingers through my bangs that had now grown out into my eyes, deep in thought. My hair had grown about an inch since we arrived in the Digital World, but with my bangs hanging down in the arrangement they did and my ponytail up in my hat, it gave me more of a male appearance. It helped my cover substantially, but I knew that if it grew too much, it'd become a burden.

"DemiVeemon! Come out, please! I want to prove to you that I'm really sorry!" I gritted my teeth, and instead of sadness filling me, I was washed over with a large wave of anger. I was fuming because of DemiVeemon's stubbornness and fear. It was _his_ fault that I was lost, it was _his_ fault he got hurt! If he wasn't around—if I hadn't tripped over his stupid egg—none of this would have happened and I would be spending the clear night next to a campfire.

I kept walking, my sight primarily handicapped, but the moonlight lightened the silhouettes of all the bushes and trees that encircled me on every angle. I could hear my heartbeat thudding in my ears, aggravation and impatience driving the thumping louder and louder. I was pissed off with my horrible sense of direction, my rashness, but most of all, DemiVeemon. I had to find someone to blame, and it just seemed easiest to pin it onto the little devil.

I pulled out my D-Tector, looking down at the formation that once was a cell phone in my hand. I figured that it would be easier to find the _kuso atama _with the eyesight of Gryphanimon.

The little stream of Data began to flow around my hand, but before I could Spirit Evolve, I felt myself plummet, banging every limb on hard rock and dirt. My D-Tector went flying out of my hand and disappeared into darkness. I couldn't see the direction it had gone, because either it was pitch black or I had my eyes closed without knowing it.

I hit the trunk of a tree, a sudden pain coming to my side, stopping abruptly. I assumed that I had tripped over something and fell down a steep slope, yet it was near impossible to tell. But wherever I was, I was at the bottom of it. The ground and the tree told me it was the bottom of a chasm, but for all I knew, this could've been what it was like inside a Digimon.

I staggered to my feet, trying to make out the shapes and figures all around me. I couldn't see a thing, so I wasn't really certain that what I thought I saw was really there and not a figment of my own mind. If so, then I just had to get a hold of myself. There was no reason to flip out just because I couldn't Spirit Evolve. Though that factor sometimes did help.

I shook my head as if it would also shake reassurance into me as well. "Ugh, Demi!" I yelled, though there was no real certainty that he was actually around this area. For all I knew, he could be on a totally different side of the forest. "When I find him, I'm going to murder him. Rip his frickin', tiny body into many even tinier pieces." I let out a small, light sigh.

I began to wander aimlessly. I couldn't get any more lost than I was already, and besides, lost was a false term. I didn't misplace myself, I just didn't know where I was. That single thought enlightened me a little, but it wasn't reassuring enough to soothe me completely.

"_Mirai Kimishima…"_

I glanced around, though it was a lost cause, it was just a natural reaction. That voice came like a whisper, a hint of ice in the tone. It would make someone with the fieriest of personalities to be chilled right to their core.

I glared at the blackness that engulfed me. "What do you want? I am not afraid to Spirit Evolve to destroy you!" I didn't dare mention that I didn't have my D-Tector, it would mean that I was unarmed and give out the idea to attack.

The mysterious voice chuckled. _"You insist in hiding under false protection, thinking you are invulnerable. What did you do back in your world when you couldn't become a Digimon? You ran from your problems: that's precisely what you did. You must learn that you cannot always take that method…"_

I gritted my teeth. "Why do you assume that know me so well? You know nothing of me or my past!" I snapped, anger coursing through me like the blood in my veins. If he wanted me irritated, then he achieved his goal all right.

"_Oh, I know you better than you think. From my solace in the Digital World, I have been watching over you, in the human world and to this very moment. You are quite the specimen, I must say. Join me and you may have the revenge you seek. Alongside me, you could destroy that Legendary Warrior of Flame, just as you wanted." _If the voice had a face, I was sure that it would have been smiling.

I recollected my thoughts, tried to calm myself. "I don't want to _destroy_ him, I just want him out of my frickin' life!" My efforts of serenity had instantly failed; there was something about this guy that really made me blood boil.

Again the voice let out a chuckle. _"Are you sure, Mirai? You felt much hatred after that day…" _A freezing black cloud, darker than the darkness itself, enveloped me and a scene from my past began to play in my mind:

_I was at school, doodling on a piece of paper alone as everyone else conversed with each other. I tried to pay no mind, so it'd seem like I wasn't one of those jealous kids who mourned for friendship. I wasn't like them. I refused to stoop down to their pathetic coolkid-wannabe level._

"_Hey, Miri!" Takuya ran up to me, smiling, calling me by the nickname he had given me long ago. I used to love his smile, I actually used to think he was rather cute, but that had long since then changed. Things had started going downhill after a while. This was one of those days that helped that downward slope along and steepen._

_I didn't dare smile back at him. He considered that normal for me, he rarely saw me smile, even back then. "Hey, Taky, what do you want? More math answers?" I questioned flatly, not even bothering to look up from my drawing. Looking up would reveal my cherry-colored face. Takuya was the only one that would even offer up the slightest amount of attention to me._

"_No! Not today, Miri! I got a new pen! See?"He held out an old fashioned quill and a large jar of black ink to boot. It was just like him to buy something like that, much more to bring it to school and use it on homework and crap._

_I paid no attention. "How frickin' peachy," I replied plainly, still working on my doodling, as if it somehow mattered. "Now go take it over there before I shove that jar up your nose."_

_He laughed slightly. "You wouldn't do that." He looked at my expression. "Uh…you wouldn't do that?" His voice lacked all confidence the second time around, knowing that I would not be afraid to do so._

_Though he was nothing like me. He was more of the laidback, usually always cheerful types. Sure he wasn't exactly what I'd call the best of students, but normally, he had good intentions. He was always willing to help someone out, aside from what he told me, his little brother Shinya, who apparently annoyed the kuso out of him. He apparently had the same kind of relationship with his brother as I did mine. _

_Class, as always, went rather unspoken from me. I was in the back, always silent and ignored by all else. If not, it was always someone looking for answers, an extra pencil, or anything they supposed that the class loner didn't need or could spare one or five of. Never wanting to make a scene, I just would hand whatever over without a word, and never on the receiving end of a thank-you._

_And when the bell rang, Takuya was always the first one up, darting out the door usually without his homework. Normally, he claimed he "just didn't have any", but the next day, it had become "I forgot, I forgot, I forgot my frickin' homework!"And after a while, the teacher began to strap his homework to him, just to make sure he brought it home. His excuse to that was "Well, I forgot it was hooked to my shirt and it kinda went through the wash and…well, heh…"I began to believe that there was no hope for this kid, and soon, I'm pretty sure the teacher did too._

_But today, it had been a different response as he went out of the classroom, "Miri, I bet I can circle around the school before you walk out of this building! Later!" And with all of that, he just took off with a shot._

_I never really took him up on that bet, but I didn't get the chance to deny or accept. He knew the route I normally took out of school, to my locker, down the hall for a drink of water, and back down the same hall to the exit. Honestly, it never took me that long to get out of the building, but quite frankly, he seemed pretty determined._

_I was only a few yards from the doors and no sign of the goggle-head. I was actually thinking he would have gotten here by now, but I wasn't one to complain. At least I would have peace and quiet on my walk home, and not some hovering chatterbox for a classmate._

"_No, no! Slow down, Miri!" Takuya came running from the hallway on the right, but wasn't able to stop in time. He slammed right into me, knocking me to the floor, and I felt a cold, reeking liquid drip down my brown hair, down my face. I wiped some off with my fingers and looked at it. Ink. Black ink._

_Takuya got back onto his feet, looking very sheepish. "Sorry, about that. I forgot the bottle of ink was in my pocket. It'll wash out, I'm sure of it!"_

_Washing the ink out was the first thing I tried to do when I got home. I went to the bathroom and took a long, long shower. When I looked in the mirror, all it did was spread the ink and completely turn my hair black. _

_That was only the beginning of my problems. When I went to school the next day, everyone was completely convinced that I had gone completely emo. And after class, I could see some people had searched through my locker. Something told me that it was because they thought I was a cutter as well. Or maybe they thought the smell of ink was the smell of some sort of drugs. Though I was sure that they thought all of the above. _

_It made my, ehem, "friendship" with Takuya worse too. It made me always in a bad mood, so I began to shun him away, no matter how much he tried to apologize. It was his fault anyway, and I made certain he knew that in painful ways. _

_But eventually, word had made its way to Yukio, who was the one to deliver the news of my actions to Mom, of my acting up in school, which gone to the extent that I would give Takuya a blow to the face whenever I saw him. Mom found the best way to solve this was for me to switch schools. She said the environment of that school was my problem and a new one would fix all of my problems. Well, I didn't have any problems at that school, but my hair still haunted me._

I growled to the silent blackness, hating it for bringing back memories I wanted to forget. "So what? I was just an immature kid with no friends. How else would you expect me to act? Ignore all of the weird looks and words said about me? Personally, I think that's rather childish!"

The voice seemed pleased with my reaction. "_An immature kid with no friends? I see no change that has occurred since then. If you'd ask me, your immaturity has worsened."_

I glared at the blackness all around me. "I don't recall asking your opinion in the first place! So just back the hell off! Quite frankly, I'm getting annoyed with the sound of your voice. You're no help to me, so _jigoku e ike_!"

An evil laugh echoed through the entire area, cutting through the darkness as if it helped intensify the sound. "_Don't be so quick to judge, Warrior of Time. For it was my servant that was sent to save you from falling in the chasm of Gigasmon's power."_

My eyes narrowed. "So? I also got a death threat from that guy! Didjya tell 'em to kill me, too?" I then figured it wasn't such a bright idea to remind him of that, since of my liability to be attacked was greater because of my lack of sight.

A small laugh arose from nothingness, yet my question remained unanswered. I figured as much. This creature—no, enmity was all but known to me. I couldn't even be sure if it was a Digimon or not. It didn't have to be a coward and hide in the shadows; I was sure it could easily take me out.

I decided to continue to speak, since the eerie silence made me unsure if it was still there. "Well, you claim to know much about me, so answer me this, genius! Where's Koichi?! What happened to him?! I need to know!"

"_You have locked away those memories of that past. It is for you to comprehend all you see and hear. If you unlock the door to this past, you shall remember. You must force yourself to put it together from these small pieces that I shall give you._"

His words made no sense to me. "What are you—" I stopped, suddenly purged into immense pain, mostly in my head, as if someone was reaching inside my mind and releasing something that had been locked tight and that was never to be opened. A red static flowed over my skin and burned like hellfire. I couldn't get away from the agony; I clutched my head and yelled out, but at the same time, when even when I could only think of pain, fast flashes blazed in my mind:

"_No!" A young girl ran up to a blurred figure that was lying on the ground, completely motionless. Her eyes were filled with salty tears that dripped down onto the body. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I really am! Please…please…come back to me…"_

_Another figure, a few years older than the girl, walked over. "What did you—" He stopped, lacking all words. "You just—you—" He turned and ran down the sidewalk, not once looking back._

The scene faded out of my mind and the pain subsided. My head was throbbing, like I was just completely winded. "I don't understand. I don't know any of those people; it didn't seem like my memories at all…"

There was silence, no response, no evil laugh. Just nothing. He had left my presence and left me alone in the vast, shadowy emptiness. All was soundless, not a single cry of a Digimon was heard. I was actually kind of hoping for the hoo-ing of some kind of owl Digimon, just for some sort of normality.

I let out a small yawn. It was completely dark, so I had no idea what the current time was at night. Actually, I wasn't even certain if my eyes were open or closed. But since it seemed like there was nothing here to attack me, I lied down onto the cold, hard ground and tried to sleep.

* * *

When I awoke, I felt sore and cramped all over my body. It was probably the grassless ground, I assumed. I stood up, just about all of my bones made a strange snapping noise. I stretched before looking up at how far I had fallen the night before.

I had to say it was about a good forty feet of a steep, downhill slope. Not exactly easy to climb up, but that wasn't my main concern. I had to find my D-Tector first for two main reasons: 1) so I can protect myself if attacked 2) so Yukio wouldn't kill me if I came back without his phone.

I was more afraid of the second than the first, though I assumed that after this duration of time, he had probably gotten a new one. That is, after trying to call this one about a million times to yell at me to give it back.

I let out a loud sigh. "All right then. First the D-Tector then DemiVeemon…" I recited, going through my thoughts out loud and beginning to walk along the edge of the chasm wall. It was completely silent here, like it was absent of all life, but at least I could see rather clearly It was slightly dim, but overall, it wasn't much worse than in the open world. Except this place seemed like the devil himself roamed here.

I glanced around, though there really wasn't much to look at. "If I were a _kuso atama _about shin high, what kind of _kuso _would I get myself into here? Steal a D-Tector, yes, that would be at the top of my list, next to stealing shiny stuff…" I figured as long as I talked to myself, it would fill the gap that was left from the endless silence. Sure, it may have meant I was going utterly insane, but at least I wouldn't suffer from it: I would enjoy every minute of it.

I laughed to myself when referring to the text on a t-shirt I had seen many a time in the past. I recalled that Takuya had one as well. In large scribbled letters the words were strewn across the front: "I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it."

But thinking of Takuya made me scowl, put back into a sour mood. That voice made me remember things I dreaded of my past, things that made me who I was that very day. Through many chains of events, I had become who I was: a broken and alone person who was searching for questions of her own life. Things that she should have known, things that forever changed her condescending outlook on life.

I cupped my hands over my mouth and yelled, "DemiVeemon! Where are you? Please come out, wherever you are!" In my voice, though the words themselves were seemed to have concern and worry, held much anger and annoyance. I found it was hard not to have any foul emotion coursing through me.

I shook my head of any thoughts having to do with the pathetic little dragon and picked up the pace. It was then I began to notice I was on a downward slope, steadily dropping more and more the farther I progressed in the small pass.

"This is really strange," I mumbled to no one in particular, "It's almost like this was carved by Digimon, not naturally made." I walked over to a wall and ran my hand along it, concluding that it was hard dirt and clay, molded rather hastily, hence the poor craftsmanship.

I continued on a bit farther, soon having to come to a complete stop because the chasm just opens up at the side of a cliff. It was a open drop straight to the bottom, which I saw to be a fairly large Digimon village. If I had fallen, I would surely have been killed from the ground's impact hundreds of feet below.

"Can't go there," I told myself, finding no way to get down there anyway. "Best bet's to go back…" I turned and moaned. I had gained all that distance just to turn tail and go back in the opposite direction. Wonderful.

Things would have been a lot easier if I could Spirit Evolve and just fly out of here. It would save effort having to look for DemiVeemon all in all, and by this point, I could have been back with Koji. Why did life have to be so frickin' difficult?

As I began my trek back, something on the wall caught my attention. Written in fairly rough manuscript were the lyrics to a song that I usually sung quietly when away from the other Legendary Warriors: "According to you, I'm stupid, I'm useless, I can't do anything right. According to you, I'm difficult, hard to please, forever changing my mind."

This struck me as quite strange. I hadn't written it, yet I was the only one that sang it, which was only in solitude. I was sure I wasn't the only one that knew it, but I didn't really assume that many Digimon knew it, since the artist was human, yet maybe that TV Forest had surround sound.

I kept walking, the writings on the wall on my mind, but I tried to make sure it didn't completely perplex me. I assumed that maybe one of the other humans here had written it, but somehow, I felt that it wasn't the case. In my mind, I could see only one other person here writing something of the sort and that was Zoe. _But why would Lil' Miss I-Get-Everything-I-Want-And-You-Suck write something such as that? Gah, just stop thinking about it!_

I kicked a stone with the toe of my shoe as I thought about what had been occurring in the past while that I was here in the Digital World. Not only the changes that have been happening to the world itself, but to me as well. I had opened up more than I had thought I could. Sure maybe to only one person, but it was a rather growing achievement.

I shoved my hands into my pockets, keeping my head ducked so I was looking down at my feet. Sure, it was exhilarating being in a world completely unique to the one of which I lived, but it had its boredom when I was short of a D-Tector and a worthwhile battle. Okay, maybe scratch the second. I was bored, not suicidal and begging for someone to kill me.

A feminine, malevolent cackle arose and echoed throughout the chasm, a near-deafening sound that could annoy the _kuso _out of just about anyone. "You alone stand against me?! I see your wisdom shining through!"

I looked around quickly, while picking up my pace to full sprint. A feeling—and maybe the tone of the voice—told me evil was dwelling here and crouched, ready to spring onto its prey.

Another voice rang back at the first. "I'm stronger than you think! I won't let you destroy this dam!"

I nearly tripped over my own feet in identifying of the voice. "Demi…" I gritted my teeth and picked up the tempo. "I should have known…but what did—" I mentally pieced it together.

_This isn't a chasm, it's a pathway for water to flow. That must mean whoever is trying to destroy the dam wants to flood that Digimon village back there. They wouldn't stand a chance. They wouldn't see it coming in time to get away…and it figures that Demi would get himself into this kind of mess. Do I always have to fall for his stupid mistakes?!_

"Chivalry will get you nowhere, I hope you see. And now, under Cherubimon's command, you shall die along with all of the other pathetic worms here. And you shall be the first." She again let out the menacing hoot.

_Why must all things that are evil laugh so much? _I saw the dam of which was spoken of quickly approaching. Standing before it, I saw a figure. It ranged in colors of pink and purple with many yellow crescents. Its overall physique resembled that of a rabbit kinda similar to the Energizer Bunny.

"I won't let you do that," I snarled, standing a few yards before it. "If you wish to destroy the unwary Digimon down in the valley, you have to get through me first." I knew that was a rather stupid, unoriginal statement, but I had to buy time so that I could figure out some sort of plan.

The purplie-pink rabbit turned my way, obviously unimpressed by my show of courage. Yeah, I wasn't too impressed either, just feeling a little idiotic. She gave a sigh of exasperation. "Oh, you must be one of the annoying little humans that Lord Cherubimon spoke of. If I knew you were what I had to get rid of, I wouldn't have trained all that extra." Her voice held that girlish tone that easily reminded me of Zoe. If I thought of it like that, the battle would be rather entertaining.

Though I grinned my teeth together at the insult. "You think you're all that, don't you?! Just who are you?!" I demanded, though I was in no position to do so. I was standing before someone that seemed to be wearing boxing gloves without my D-Tector, not exactly making the greatest of odds.

She did a little curtsy, as if it was even slightly a pleasure to meet me. "I am Lekismon, proud and graceful servant of Lord Cherubimon." Her voice then became as cold as ice. "And you, may I say, are my enemy, soon to be Data for my master."

I tried to ignore the threat, but there wasn't much I could do besides. "What did you do to DemiVeemon?! If you—" Lekismon cut me off, letting out a small, somewhat girly-my-daddy-gets-me-whatever-I-want-spoiled-brat chuckle.

"Oh, don't worry. I didn't destroy him yet." She smiled threateningly, throwing something to the ground between us.

"DemiVeemon!" I ran up to the figure and lifted him into my arms. My compassionate expression turned to one of slight anger. "Why the hell did you try to stop her! It's a wonder that she didn't kill you yet! What the hell were you thinking?!" I snapped.

Demi lifted his small head up to look at me with his large, red eyes. "I didn't want to see anyone else hurt," he breathed, his voice light and quiet. He took a long pause. "…You're gonna fight, too, aren't you?"

I shook my head. "I can't Spirit Evolve. I lost my D-Tector…" I didn't originally want to admit my own weakness, but I had to give some reason not to fight. And not being able to was a fairly good one, I'd say.

"You mean this, useless human?" Lekismon held up my D-Tector as a sort of trophy. "Can't do your little trick now, can you? If I had only known you were so feeble on your own, I would have scattered you all so much earlier." She crossed her gloved arms. "But no, that idiot Grumblemon had to keep intervening with my plans. Ugh, never sticks to the arrangement." She shook her head. "Just like a man."

I blinked. She got so easily distracted, that was the perfect way to buy some more time. "Uh…'scuse me?" I questioned rather awkwardly, causing her to stop complaining and glance at me, and so I continued, "You've got spinach on your teeth." I waved my index finger over my mouth, not really pointing to one specific spot. "Right there."

She stopped abruptly and started to feel around her teeth with her tongue, mentally and (partially) physically distracted. She kept asking if she got it and I would repeatedly answer 'nu-uh'.

"Now, DemiVeemon, get my D-Tector," I mumbled, not looking away from Lekismon for a second.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Demi smile slightly. "I'm on it." He jumped out of my arms and darted out of sight. He then quickly began to make his way closer to the unsuspecting Lekismon.

Lekismon had already stopped and was glaring at me. "I had to have gotten it by now. Unless you were just lying to draw my attention away from the dirty, little sneak—" _What is with Digimon and calling people sneaks? _"—right there!" She spun around and pointed to DemiVeemon, who by this time was too close to get away from any attack. "Tear Arrow!" She launched an ice arrow at the unprepared dragon, knocking him back and off his feet.

She took a step forward. "You have been a thorn in my side. Well, no more shall that be so. Moon Night Kick!" She leapt up high, preparing to strike down with her serrated paw.

I ran for DemiVeemon, shutting my eyes and preparing for the worst. "I won't let you kill him!" I dove before DemiVeemon and was immediately struck in the chest with such force I would have thought it should have snapped my ribs.

I reluctantly opened my eyes, seeing DemiVeemon standing before me, wavering and swaying back and forth. He did for me what I tried to do for him. He didn't let me try to protect him; instead, he protected me.

Lekismon laughed at the vast amount of courage DemiVeemon had just shown. "You sacrifice yourself for this human? What a waste, such creatures don't deserve to be here—they don't even belong in this world!"

"This one does! She's not like any other human. She cares for the Digimon, like the rest of the humans she's friends with, even if she won't admit it. She cares more than you, and you're a Digimon. You don't care for your own kind!" DemiVeemon shook his head and a light blue stream of Fractal Code appeared around him. "I got a wrong impression of her, too, thinking she didn't care, but it's the little things she did for our world that proves me of her love for it!"

He turned to me and began speaking softly, "I remember a time…long time ago, Davis…" DemiVeemon briefly glanced away as if a figure was standing nearby, but in an instant, his eyes were back into mine. "He thought he had no friends…He was only concerned of himself and let others get hurt. He let me get hurt. He let everyone down by refusing to make a sacrifice he needed to. But in the end, he made the right choice and really earned the Crest of Friendship. I know you can earn your own Crest of Friendship, too. Just remember that you really do have friends…"

In a shine of white light, he faded into nothingness…


	14. Chapter 12

**Me: Finally, chapter 12! that took too long for my own comfort.**

**Davis: ooh! can i sing my turkey song?**

**Me: no. i'm saving that for my 02 fanfiction. but don't worry, Sparkles, only 38 chapters to go! (not including the epilogue)**

**Davis: i sill don't know why you call me that.**

**Me: and you don't need to know, either.**

* * *

Chapter 12

I was filled with unmatched anger, hatred for Lekismon for callously wiping out an irreproachable being of its own kind. It was a Digimon like her, not deserving such a heartless fate for trying to defend others. And this Digimon was someone close to me. I would not let this go unpunished for such a coldhearted deed.

I rose to my feet, not feeling any physical pain. It was the pain in my heart that burned inside me, pain even through merciless revenge couldn't fix, but this pain didn't outmatch my loathing that was coursing through my veins. It was demanding for vengeance, and it would without a doubt get more than it ever desired.

Lekismon seemed to notice my aggravation, but paid no mind to it. In fact, she seemed to enjoy seeing it. "Oh, was the little child's heart broken into many little pieces? More can easily be arranged, I can assure you."

I tried to hold in my rage, but it felt impossible—it _was _impossible. "You…" My voice began soft, but then instantly, I lost hold on my fury, "You mercilessly destroyed another living creature! To find compassion for such an act is unfeasible! "

She laughed like all of this was all just one big joke. "All those unworthy of life lose it. For intervening with my plans, he had proved unworthy. Either way, no matter if he was here or not, he would have been destroyed nonetheless. And you, annoying human, shall be next."

I balled my fists and struggled to keep them at my sides. "I don't care what happens to me. But I will not stop until you pay for what you have done! For killing DemiVeemon—" I felt myself choking up. "—I will never forgive you!"

She crossed her arms and smiled devilishly. "That would hurt if I had cared in the first place. Though thanks for trying!" She acted pleasant in her voice, but I remained unfazed. "Ya know, at first I thought you little humans would be some sort of change of pace, but alas…" She cast me a look that said 'become more to my expectancy and give me, the spoiled brat, some worthwhile entertainment'. "You have proven to be as weak and demeaning as the rest. I am utterly appalled."

I shook my head, provoked by Lekismon's unsurpassed egocentricity. "Do you care about any more than killing innocent lives?! I've never seen such malicious a creature in my life, you vindictive _subeta_!"

Lekismon let out a small 'ha!' and questioned, "You don't care for any of the Digimon in this world, do you? It's all a deception created so everyone accepts you as one of the good guys here. You don't belong here, nor do you care about the things that do."

I completely lost all of my self-control with that statement. "None of this is a façade! I wish to help the Digital World in this time of crisis. I know that's what we humans were taken here for, to help fight the likes of you! DemiVeemon looked up to me as a responsible figure that gets work done! And now I'm going to take care of it for his sake! Execute!"

My D-Tector, by some unknown force, was pulled out of Lekismon's grasp and soared into my own. I held it before me and yelled, "Spirit Evolution!" I was cocooned in an encasement of blue Fractal Code, feeling the power of Gryphanimon combining with the strength of my own rage and darkness. "Gryphanimon!"

I glared at Lekismon. "How can I not care remotely for a being that I can become? Answer me that," I demanded, not necessarily meaning literally, but still not rhetorically. It was a serious question that I wanted some sort of response to.

She sent me a small grin back. "Hmph! This could turn out to be slightly amusing after all. Though now I'll have the chance to take your Spirit from you by brutal force!" She leapt up. "Moon Night Kick!"

She descended rapidly in attempt to wallop me with her leg, but I shielded myself with my wings. "Strike of Thoth!" I thrust my leg and cut into her skin deeply with my claws. I readied myself for another attack. "Strike of Thoth!"

She bent backwards and narrowly avoided another attack. "Tear Arrow!" A spear of ice was thrown forth and struck my chest. I stumbled back, shaking off the pain.

I cast myself into the air, readying myself for what my instincts told me was my most powerful attack. "Burning Oras!" I was veiled in flames that weren't at all hot to me as I dove down and struck Lekismon directly.

She stumbled to the ground, covered with bruises and the slashes I put into her chest with my claws reddening. But not bleeding, because Digimon didn't have blood. But I had to wonder if I did when I was part Digimon.

She was breathing deeply and hard, but it suddenly turned to an evil chuckle. That soon became a loud, maniacal laughter that echoed throughout the entire area. "I congratulate you, Warrior of Time! You have put up quite the fight, but you surely have not won. As the tides turn, so shall the tables of our battles. This, my adversary, is not the end." She then leapt up, disappearing out of sight.

I didn't bother following, as the last attack had taken much of my strength, and the chances are, she was going back to somewhere that had too many evil Digimon that I could not possibly dream of facing all at once. I was playing smart, making sure I was always in a good state to fight at all times. This world had too many things that were wicked to drop my guard for even a second.

I De-Digivolved, falling to my knees, panting. I decided I would not us Burning Oras unless it was a dire life or death moment. It cost too much energy to use without any reason behind it. I would be foolish as to waste needed power, throwing it away like it was of no use to me whatsoever. No, it could prove to be a great weapon.

"Well, then…" I glanced around, the silence getting to me mentally. "I must find everyone else. I would be a moron to stay alone…" I got to my feet and began the search for Takuya and his group, no matter how reluctant I was to do it.

* * *

I soon came to a small village, filled with people that claimed to be able to tell the future, tell your fortune, make you stronger by waving a stick in the air a lot, and _Kamisama _knows what else. But the one thing that really stood up was the demolished temple a ways away from all of the tents and buildings on top of a hill. I wondered what could have happened there, and who the hell Takuya pissed off this time.

I looked back and forth between all of the Digimon that were claiming to be able to see the future and considered it all just a load of _kuso_. The future is in the future, it can worry about itself without anyone else trying to see it before it comes.

I made my way to the demolished temple, ignoring the Digimon that kept trying to lure me over to them. I saw the entire area surrounding the temple was ruined as well, making me assume a battle had gone on here.

A Digimon with a club and Mohawk approached me, staggering most of the way. "Young human!" he cried out, "I am Shamanmon and I have met with your friends. The leader—" I assumed he was speaking about Takuya. "—has found the Beast Spirit of Flame."

I sighed in annoyance. "I knew that he was the cause of this…" I looked back at Shamanmon before questioning, "And I'm guessing that he was the one that destroyed everything…?"

The Digimon with the club nodded partially. "A familiar foe attacked with new friend. Warrior of Flame lost control and fled to forest."

I glanced at the pretty much burnt down forest before me. _Smart, Takuya. If you can't control your Beast Spirit of Flame, where do you go? The forest, that's where!_ "Well, then, I'm going there." I bowed slightly. "Thank you."

Before I got a response, I ran for the forest. It was sudden that I felt so passionate about saving this world, I didn't know when that feeling of accountability for the Digital World had first started. Maybe when I saw how much better it was than the real world and then seeing it in danger and on the brink of being completely ruined. I just didn't want to see another Earth being formed from a place so perfect…

The forest was destroyed all around me, charred and cut down trees and the strong smell of burnt pine filled the air. _Destruction. So much destruction. How, Takuya? How did you cause so much destruction? You always had such good intentions…_

I figured this was more than just Takuya's doing, there was too much damage to the forest for just him to make. Gigasmon is here, I knew. He had readied his stance, took the chance he got of everyone's weakness. Evil did such things, strikes when you have nothing to defend yourself with, but so much at stake…

I soon reached a part of the forest that hadn't been burned to a crisp. Though I could hear shouting and an on-going battle nearby. That only made me sprint all the faster. I didn't want fighting, I didn't want destruction.

"Hey, you okay?!" I questioned approaching everyone but Takuya, and all who were present aside from Tommy were stuck in a large pool of mud. Everyone turned at the sound of my voice, probably all wondering exactly who I was speaking to.

I stood near the edge of the mud pool, momentarily taking in the situation. "Well, there's only a few guesses I have to how this occurred," I mumbled to myself, walking over to Tommy, who had gotten a vine to help pull them out.

"Kazuma!" Zoe squealed, as if it was some sort of miracle that I had gotten here. "Takuya is fighting Gigasmon! You have to Spirit Evolve and help him!" _Aww, you care so much for the goggle-headed idiot…so if you care so much, get the heck out and help him yourself! I'm not going to take orders from someone like you._

A scowl was plastered onto my face. "I play by my own rules, thank you," I snapped back, making an annoyed look come upon her own face. "You should just be thankful I even decided to come." I wrapped the vine around my wrist and gripped it with both hands. "Kid—" I gestured to Tommy, catching his attention. "—when they get close enough, grab their hands and pull."

Surprisingly, I got a small smile and a nod. I held my stance secure and locked my position into place as one by one, they were pulled out. But when Tommy grabbed JP's hands, he was pulled into the mud as well. So then, Zoe, leaned over to help and ended up falling in as well.

I turned to Koji, who had a rather WTH? look on his face. "Please tell me we can just leave them here," I inquired, crossing my arms and reluctant to help them. In fact, I just wanted to turn and walk away without a word and enjoy the hushed, complaining-less serenity of the Digital World.

He shrugged, sighing quietly. "No matter how tempting that sounds…" He walked over to the mud pool and gestured for me to help. It was rather obvious that the extra work irritated him as well.

After a bit of difficult pulling and unwanted physical contact, we had resolved this presented difficulty and gotten everyone out of the mud. I sat down in the grass, rejuvenating lost energy from this demeaning struggle.

"Now we have to go help Takuya!" Tommy exclaimed, slightly pumping his fist to just below his shoulder. Apparently, getting his friends unstuck was some sort of inspiration for the small Warrior of Ice.

Him, JP, and Zoe began their trek to find the Warrior of Flame and I heard Zoe shout, "Don't worry, Takuya, we're coming!" as if he could by some weird chance hear her and get even a little reassurance by it.

I stood up at my own pace, seeing Koji standing nearby, not looking at me, but not exactly in a hurry to help Takuya. "Hey, are you okay, Koji?" I questioned, walking up to my favorite Warrior.

He turned to me, a tiny scowl on his face. "Yeah, I just didn't want to be grouped up with them," he replied, gesturing to the figures that had already disappeared into the wood.

I nodded slightly, understanding what he meant. "You're a wolf for a reason, Koji." I shoved my hands into my pockets and began after the other three Warriors in a walk. "Someone of solitude and independence. It suits you…" I stopped, turning back and casting him a small grin that was hardly noticeable. "…but you look better smiling."

His frown was morphed into a sweet smirk that didn't look fake, but with his skills, could easily have been without my knowing. "Are you happy now?" He crossed his arms and awaited my response.

"Quite." And with that, turned and continued on.

In mere minutes, we came to a clearing, of which I saw Gigasmon shadowed and visible Spirits emitting from his body. He was standing in the middle of a fairly large, circular break in the earth and before him standing a dragon-like Digimon colored with shades of red, gold, and white that stood easily fifteen feet tall.

"Who is that?" I questioned aloud, hoping Koji knew the identity of the unknown Digimon.

"BurningGreymon," Koji answered quickly, not even bothering a look at me when replying. "Takuya's Beast Spirit."

I shrugged, thinking to myself of Takuya's achievement that was actually probably worth some sort of credit. _So Shamanmon was right. The goggle-head did manage to get his second Spirit. Controlling it pretty well. I'm surprised he was able to so quickly. Though he always did have a big head…_

He leapt up and flew over to the Spirits, grabbing one. Bokomon said something about Gigasmon as he got another. He threw it to Tommy, who said it was better than Christmas and Birthday combined. _Such a child…_

"Now for Zoe's Spirit…" BurningGreymon flew over to retrieve the small, lavender, butterfly-like figurine, but just before he could do so, Grumblemon's form appeared and burrowed into the ground.

"No!" Zoe wailed, "He still has my Spirit!" _What a deductive observation, kid. I'll love to see what you come up with next._

* * *

Nightfall soon arose, and the three moons, colored in a golden yellow, a sea blue, and a rusty maroon, shone brightly in the night sky. The stars glittered and sparkled like millions of diamonds as we stood upon a cliff overlooking the ocean of trees. All was quiet and tranquil, well, aside from the chatter of the other Warriors around me. It seemed like only Koji could truly know how to admire such radiant beauty, but he should know.

"Isn't that pretty?" Tommy questioned, gazing up at the moons that seemed like colored bubbles floating in the sky.

Zoe was next to reply, but in a depressed this-voice-means-you-have-to-feel-sorry-for-me tone that annoyed the _kuso_ out of me and made me just want to walk up to her and punch her lights out. "Yeah, I guess…"

Takuya, at least, stayed on track somewhat, a firm expression pasted onto his face. That is, as firm as Takuya could get without looking like an idiot. Wait, too late. "C'mon guys, we got a long road ahead of us."

Tommy put on a somewhat confused look. "But wait a minute. Kaz, wasn't DemiVeemon with you? I thought you found him," he stated, making the exact statement I didn't want to hear right then.

I crossed my arms and turned my face away as everyone laid their eyes on me. I couldn't hold it in any longer, I couldn't keep up the strong façade. I felt myself welling up, and so darted away from their view. I heard shouts for me to come back, but I ignored them. The bandage was ripped off and the wound underneath was exposed.

Tears streamed from my eyes, blurring my vision. I tripped over something and fell facedown into the dirt. I didn't bother moving, I just let out everything then and there in full sobs. I couldn't bring up the strength to lift myself up and keep going, I didn't want to have the strength. I just wanted to lie there and die.

I heard footsteps, only one pair, approach me. A soft, honey-sweet voice soon followed, the words flowing like a gentle breeze. "Mirai…if you want to talk, I'm here."

I picked myself up, wiping my eyes, but more tears kept coming. I wrapped my arms around him, tear-staining his shirt with all of my emotions. "I was supposed to look after him! He was my responsibility and I let him down! It wasn't Lekismon's fault, it was mine! I shouldn't have taken my anger out on him in the first place and now, he's not even here for me to apologize! He was taken from me! I could have done something to protect him, but I didn't! I just watched as I let him die!" I choked up and couldn't get any more words out.

Koji's voice came back, comforting and light. "It's not all your fault. He was my responsibility as well, there was much more I could have done. You don't have to take all of the blame yourself. You don't deserve all that guilt."

I shook my head, inserting words in between loud sobs. "Yes, I do! I found his DigiEgg, and he looked to me to take care of him! Some guardian I am! If I was sent here to protect and save the Digital World, then some help I'll be! I couldn't even take care of one, little Digimon, so how can I help an entire world?!"

He lifted my head and looked upon my sodden face, wiping my tears with his warm, soft fingers. "You help just by proving that you care…"

Those were words I wasn't expecting to come out of his lips. Koji, like me, indeed was changing from being here. The cold, distant person he was had been overshadowed by this nice, caring figure. Maybe that was part of our purpose here as well. Not only change this world's future, but our own as well by evolving who we were.

"Koji…" It felt soothing to me just to whisper his name, knowing that he was right here in my arms, always ready to be of assistance when I was in need. "…Koji…thank you." I looked into his eyes that out-glistened all of the glowing enmities in the sky. They were filled with rich, amorous emotions that they had never held when I first laid my eyes on him. He had really changed, and I knew that I had too by just noticing that he had.

Suddenly, I heard voices calling to us, telling us to come back. I glanced at Koji and said, "Go, I'll catch up." And as he departed, I knelt down into the dirt and began to carve the lyrics, '_I used to cry out in the middle of the night. Baby, hold me tight. But there was nobody beside me when I opened my eyes. Now I've turned a corner on those days and nights and something inside me is changing. I think I might be staring over, and I don't wanna run.'_

I straightened my stature and began walking in the direction of the voices. _How they could ruin a perfectly serene night. I think even the stars are scowling at them._ I made myself smile a little, just to lighten my mood.

As I neared, I saw a figure, easily distinguished as Takuya, waving to me and calling, "C'mon, Kaz, you wanna be left behind? Hope you're not afraid of the dark!" The last part, I was sure, was a taunt, and I was sure he was smiling, too. One of his most famous combinations, and after all this time, I should know.

I shook my head, not really minding whether or not they should choose to leave me. "Whatever," I mumbled, practically dragging my feet out of lack of inspiration to move faster. "You wait for me for what reason?"

Zoe crossed her arms and sent me a scowl that was easily recognizable on her face as the one she always used. "Hey, you gotta learn that you're part of the team, too, Kazuma, no matter if you like it or not."

I, too, crossed my arms. "Really? So now this is a hostage situation?" I questioned, putting on a scowl identical to hers, but still keeping my voice rather flat and emotionless. If they were going to capture me by force, I wouldn't let them take me alive. Well, unless Koji was in on it, too…

Zoe glared at me, her face inches from mine. "If you really want it to, then—" Takuya cut her off, pushing her away from me.

"C'mon, guys, don't fight. Save your energy for Grumblemon," he advised, as if somehow, by some, dumb chance he was made the voice of reasoning here. "Besides, we gotta get to Forest Terminal…That is, unless you've forgotten about it already." He looked back and forth between Zoe and I, as if he was seeing if we were about to pounce on each other at any given moment.

I put on a small, devious smirk. "I'm up to it, but is the little princess? Or does she need her little magical pumpkin carriage to take her there with her Prince Charming?" When I had said the last bit, I cast a glance at Takuya, seeing how he would react to my words.

After I had finished speaking, both Takuya and Zoe had matching, pissed off expressions plastered on their faces. It seemed as though they were on the edge of tackling me to the ground and beating me to death. Though, I didn't really have many doubts that they didn't want to. I convinced myself already I could take them single-handedly, but when I had persuaded myself, I didn't really think of a reason why they would do so.

After my reference to Cinderella, I heard Neemon ask Bokomon, "Bokomon, since when were cabbages made out of pumpkins?" I then heard a *SNAP* and a wail soon follow, signifying the use of the waistband.

"Not cabbages, you ninny! Carriages!" the radish-head Digimon yelled back. "Sometimes I wonder if you even think _anything_ through."

Although everyone had stopped the argument to listen to the conversation between the two Digimon, Takuya was the next one to speak, "You think you're the stronger one here?! No one's ever seen you Spirit Evolve, and no one's even certain if you can!"

I shook my head at myself, thinking, _Don't go there, Mirai. It'll only get you into more trouble…_But of course, I didn't listen to myself. "Such little trust in me. You think guys are so great! Yeah, I agree, 'cause your Spiritual figures are so powerful! Shorty there turns into a baby polar bear, Jumpsuit turns into a beetle, the little princess turns into a butterfly, and what do you turn into? A hamster-lookin' thing!"

I heard a little bit of chuckling escape from everyone around me, aside from Takuya, when I had noted what Agunimon was based off of. I honestly didn't know what he was supposed to be and the first thing that came to my mind when imagining the Warrior of Flame was a hamster.

Takuya had immediately become hot under the collar, and I had no doubt in my mind that he wanted to kill me. "Just because you aren't sure of the form of my Spirit, doesn't mean it can't kick your butt!"

I grinned rather evilly. "You wanna test that theory?"

We both pulled out our D-Tectors, ready to start tearing each other apart. I would thoroughly enjoy this even, that is, if we even got to do it.

This time, it was Koji that took a stand. "Hey, do you guys really want to fight each other?!" We both gave a nod and he only scowled. "We have more important things to do than beat up on each other, so stop being dense morons and do what we came here to do!"

I was the first to concede and shoved my D-Tector back into my pocket. "Fine…" I sighed, knowing that the Warrior of Light was right. No matter how much I wanted to show Takuya my power by kicking the crap out of him, it wasn't the time.

I crossed my arms as Takuya asked Bokomon, "Okay, so which way to the Forest Terminal?" He put his D-Tector away, keeping his gaze completely off of me. I had to wonder how long he was going to be pissed at me.

From out of his pink waistband, Bokomon pulled his big green book. "Let's see now…we go…" He looked around and then suddenly pointed. "That way! We should arrive at the Forest Terminal in the late morning if we begin now, so chop, chop!" _Okay, he uses that way too much…_

I lingered behind everyone in the group, as we began our trek for the Forest Terminal. I stayed within sight, but out of earshot. Sometimes, I wondered, though if they were talking about me, like back home. Back there, it seemed like everyone knew me by one rumor or another, and all of the ones I heard were never true. People hated me for reasons I was never sure of. I don't know exactly when I started to lose my friends; my memory failed me that information. Just like I couldn't remember Koichi. I wanted to know what became of him, but at the same time, I wanted to know why I forgot about him.

Bokomon noticed my silence, since I didn't notice that he was walking right next to me. "Kazuma, my boy, what's troubling you? I know that you're usually quiet, but I can just see that you're wondering about something," he stated, as if he somehow knew me back and front, "Maybe I can offer you some assistance."

I let out an exhale, shaking my head. "I'm just a bit vexed about my life back home in the real world, Bokomon. It doesn't matter," I replied quietly, hoping the intelligent Digimon would just forget about it.

But of course, he didn't. "Well, it must be of some importance if it's perplexing you so much. So let's hear it." His persistence was annoying me; I just wanted him to leave me alone to my thoughts.

I crossed my arms, looking down at my shoes. "It's…more of a personal matter, so I'd rather not speak of it. You understand, don't you Bokomon?" I was hoping he would get the message that I didn't want to talk and disregard that I was around.

Before he could reply, Takuya's voice rang out, "Hey, Bokomon! Where do we go now?" He had a look on his face that said 'what the heck are you doing way back there? Get over here and help us out!'

Bokomon ran ahead and joined with the rest of the group and I followed, the darkness of the night seeming to close all around me. I arrived just as Bokomon said, "We just have to follow the tracks and it should lead all the way to the Forest Terminal."

Zoe was the one to answer. "That doesn't seem so hard. We got this far okay." _Yeah, a train track. It's gonna try to kill us._

"Okay, then! Let's go!" Takuya began to tromp forward, but Koji grabbed the back of his shirt, causing him to make a 'guh!' noise. "What?"

"We can't just go walking out in the open with our guard down! We could get attacked and we wouldn't be prepared for it!" Koji snapped, instantly noting Takuya's unwariness. He seemed like the only one here that actually thought on his feet.

"C'mon, Koji, lighten up! Nothing ventured, nothing gained, buddy!" Takuya was being stubborn and ignorant, two characteristics that could get us all killed. And I didn't exactly want to be the one to take the fall for his rash actions.

"But have you ever heard nothing dared, nothing to kill you?" I retaliated, referring to me trying to kill him when something bad happens. And quite frankly, in the right situation, I would enjoy the homicide quite a bit.

Takuya gave me a hard slap on the back, grinning his head off. "Oh, don't be a stick in the Raremon, Kaz! We're Legendary Warriors, what could go wrong?—" Says you. "—Besides, with your temper, you could have the enemy shredded in no time!"

I mentally rolled my eyes. "Is that supposed to be supportive?" I grumbled, mostly to myself, since I then realized he wasn't paying attention anymore. Easily distracted, that was another attribute of him I despised.

He put his hands on his hips momentarily, looking about out our tiny group with a bit of expectation in his eyes. "Any more objections?" he questioned, his voice opposing the smile on his face.

This time I literally rolled my eyes. "Even in the dark he looks like a moron…" I sighed to myself while watching him pace back and forth like a general of some, demented sort. Honestly, I wasn't sure if he thought he was a good leader or just toying with the small minds of the majority of the group.

I decided that I wasn't going to pay any mind to Takuya and proceeded to talking to Neemon, "Hey, Lemony Bunny."

Even in the darkness, Neemon's cherry red pants could be seen in full color. "I can break dance!" he exclaimed, looking as though he was about to bust a move or two. I'd enjoy seeing him spin on his head.

I crossed my arms. "Well, then…Can you show me?" I was curious to know how this would develop, and if he was even any good. Though there was a little voice in my head that told me that he wasn't.

He started hopping around weird, like he was a dying fish or something, making these sounds effects to make what he was doing sound dramatic, "Dum daadaa brroom! Huchaa wahha! Fwaa!"

In his bouncing around, he just so happened to nail Takuya, knocking him over and causing his goggles to go flying off his head. It landed right before my feet and I looked down at them long and hard.

After a few moments, I bent over and picked them up into my hands. At that second, a memory from a few years back began to play in my mind:

"_Check it out, Miri!" Takuya walked over to me, grinning his normal, sweet smile that always seemed to be pasted on his face. On his head, were shiny new goggles that reflected the light in my eyes multiple times._

_I smirked back. "They're awesome, Taky! They look really cute on you." That was the time I both smiled and outwardly admitted things that I liked or enjoyed. Two things I mostly refused to do now._

_My comment made Takuya blush a bright crimson, but then he changed his smile to a prideful grin. "No, it makes me look like a man!" he declared, balling his fists and gritting his teeth, though still smirking. _

"_Sure…" I walked up to him and took the goggles off his head, putting them on my own. I had a sense of pride wearing them. "Hey, now I have ski goggles to go skiing with!" I slipped them over my eyes._

"_C'mon, give 'em back, Miri!" Takuya reached for the goggles, but I knew by the way he was beaming that he didn't mean it harshly. _

_So I took that fact to my advantage. "You're gonna have to catch me first, Taky!" I took off down the walk and who was at that time my best friend at my heels, laughing my head off the entire way._

_He easily caught up to me and knocked me down into the grass of the park, pinning me down under him, panting hard. We were grinning back at each other, like always, finding enjoyment in our immature games._

"_Hey," I began, "I dare you to kiss me." I was hoping he'd be grossed out by my words and get off of me right then and there._

_But instead, he moved the goggles off of my eyes, letting them rest up on my forehead, and leaned down toward my face. His auburn eyes shined in the setting sun's light as his warm lips brushed against my cheek…_

"Kaz! Kaz! You okay?"

I shook my head, snapping out of my mind. I looked down at the goggles still in my grasp, the same ones from way back then. I couldn't believe I remembered that just from holding them in my hands.

I handed them back to Takuya, sighing, "Yeah, I'm fine…"

* * *

**FYI, Mirai and Taky don't actually like each other in the book, but they did in the past. Just thought that I'd mention that...Oh yeah, and lots of people asked me about the beach episode. Well, I'm not going to say anything about it, aside from saying that Mirai's cover will NOT be blown in that chapter. Well, anyway, thanks for reading (well, you must have read it to be reading way the heck down here) and please review.**


	15. Chapter 13

**Finally, chapter 13 is done! It took forever, cuz i just had so much homework, and then when i didn't, i didn't really feel inspired to work. This chapter is more or less a turning point, where things really start rolling. Thus far, it doesn't make that much sense, but thing'll be cleared up probably right before Koichi appears, around chapter 23 or so, i'm assuming.**

**oh yes, and also, i've decided, that after i'm done with Frontier (i'm having another side story along with this one), i'm going to Tamers instead of my original plan of 02 (sorry Sparkles! tough luck). but for now, enjoy the latest chapter of Wherever You Will Go.**

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Chapter 13

"I can't believe it! We're actually here!" Takuya let out a giant sigh of relief as we approached a wooden sign that was labeled: Forest Terminal. I could make out distinct shapes in the dense fog, the vibrant green color of the trees stood out like a sore thumb. The early morning dew that moistened the grass gave a fresh, spring scent.

"My legs can believe it. Ohhh…" JP moaned. I was hoping that he was going to collapse so that we could leave him there to be eaten by some rabid Digimon. That would be the greatest gift I ever received. A miracle even.

I crossed my arms, scowling at his nonstop complaining. "You gotta learn to shut up," I growled angrily. There weren't many things that annoyed me more than someone that didn't know when his trap was to be shut. And that single factor applied to almost everyone around me, except for one person here. And knew exactly who that person was.

Takuya briefly pointed to the sign as we grew closer to it. "There's the sign: Forest Terminal."

"Um, but shouldn't there be a Trailmon here?" Koji questioned, the only one thoroughly thinking the weirdness through that was presented in this current situation. Because, yes, he was right; there should have been at least one Digimon here, Trailmon or not.

"Yeah. Really," Zoe and I said at the same time. We quickly looked at each other, and I sent her a glare and a low growl from in my throat. She returned the glare, but instead of the growl, she made this little girl 'hmph!' sound.

Takuya looked up into space while turning his head to see Zoe out of the corner of his eye. "Well, maybe they're on their way back right now!" he replied, turning and lying his gaze straight in front of him again. "Or, uh you know, maybe, uh, they could be…uh…oh man."

I crossed my arms, my eyes narrowing. "Nice cover, James Bond," I said flatly, my sarcasm causing him to send me a somewhat irritated look. Yeah, we were at the forest terminal for thirty seconds and I had already gotten two different glares.

Suddenly, I heard JP exclaim, "Hey, who cares about the Trailmon?! There's a restaurant here!" Of course. Food. Didn't see that coming.

Everyone turned the direction he was looking, and I saw a small, square building. The way that the door was crafted and the locations of the windows above it made it look like a really demented face. Not exactly my idea of a nice, welcoming restaurant. The only time I would really find that comforting is if I knew I was walking to my death in a cannibalistic restaurant, and still, that wouldn't be very comforting as much as just plain frightening.

Though no one else commented on the building and walked over to the little peacock-like Digimon with a crown on his head, who as we approached, smiled and said happily, "Welcome, weary travelers!" Weary wasn't exactly the word I would have used.

"What do you have to eat?" Tommy questioned in response, placing his hands on his hips and cocking one direction. I think he had gotten that rather girlish move from Zoe, who at that moment was in that exact position.

"Ask instead what I _don't _have to eat! Step right up, friends, and don't worry about money. For you, the first meal is free!" he replied, smiling his little peacock head near clean off his face. He looked a little too innocent with that big red bow he was wearing.

At first, I didn't really buy that for a couple reasons: 1) he was saying friends way too much to be of any comfort 2) not many people would offer up free food to eight people 3) Digimon with a bush and flowers for feathers were never good news. But it was after I had thought of that list that I realized how hungry I really was. I hadn't had much to eat since we came to the Digital World, and that may have been because I just didn't have _time_ to eat. Ever since I got here, there's been complication after complication, battle after frickin' battle. When's the R&R?

Immediately after the peacock had finished speaking, JP threw his arms up into the air and shouted out , "Hey! Hahaha!" He darted as fast as his stubby legs could carry him. And it seemed to me that I was the only one who found that just a little disturbing.

"Now there's a man who knows what he likes!" the peacock exclaimed happily. But then he mumbled as if he didn't know we could clearly hear him, "Or doesn't care what he eats…" That put the idea that what he will be feeding us was poison. But hey, food was food, even if it kills ya.

We all sat down before him as he threw a bunch of eggs up into the air. "Yolk surprise coming up!" He rapidly pecked at all of them while they were in mid-air, and they all landed into our plates of noodles and whatever else. "Dig on in!"

"Hail to the chef!" came the response, smiles on just about everyone's faces, and also obviously the peacock guy's. I couldn't help but have a small one on my face, since it was food, something I hadn't had in a long while. Over a day at least.

Everyone picked up the chopstick laid before them and picked up a glop of the noodles. I had done so after them and watched their expressions change to something of distain. Takuya looked had a look on his face like he was tasting colors or something. Zoe looked, to my pleasure, utterly poisoned. I was hoping she'd keel over dead.

As everyone was complaining about how disgusting it was, I stuck a little in my mouth, chewing with outmost curiosity…

Bokomon was the one to speak for the group, everyone keeping their eyes off of the peacock Digimon. "We must respectfully decline your kind offer of food," he stated, as if that wouldn't hurt the Digimon's feelings at all.

Neemon's head dropped. "I can't feel my tongue anymore…" he moaned.

For the remarks, the peacock was clearly pissed off. He looked like he was about to try to rip us all into many little pieces, or if he refused to do dirty work, at least throw us into a wood splitter. "All right, all right! What's the big idea?! I just can't believe all of ya are gonna turn down free food!" It was obvious by the following responses that there was a reason that it was free.

"That was food?!" Zoe snapped, as if trying to make food was a sort of sin. I could easily see that the little guy tried his best.

"I'm insulted!" Came his response. And he got good reason to be. Zoe was in really no position to judge others that were better than herself.

"I'm gonna be sick!" Was Takuya's response. _Okay, but just don't lose it on me. Go outside to welch and whatever. I don't need you all over the place._

"What are you guys talkin' about?!" I questioned, holding my chopsticks and bowl over my head and grinned in a Takuya-ish way. "This is the greatest food I've ever had! You morons have no sense of taste at all whatsoever!" I shoveled more noodles into my mouth, which only made more disgusted looks come upon everyone's faces, aside from the peacock's, who was grinning in delight.

He bowed slightly. "My thanks goes to you, my friend," he said to no one but me, since I was the only one that didn't reject his food. But then he looked up, glaring at the rest of the group, "And the rest of you…you guys are buggin' me. Go on to the Forest Terminal. They say no one's ever returned from there."

It was silent for a long moment until Takuya's smug voice broke it as he crossed his arms and stated, "Yeah, well, we'll just take our chances; I doubt the Forest Terminal will be any worse than this food!" _Well, that was cold._

Everyone, aside from me since I still had the bowl and chopsticks in my hands, turned away and crossed their arms. That, I had to admit, was kinda mean. They were just wasting perfectly good noodles here, even JP. I was actually rather ashamed of myself for enjoying the food more than he did.

Tears began to stream out of the peacock Digimon's face. "Aw, c'mon guys! I was just trying to be nice, that's all!"

"Being nice has nothing to do with cooking." _Heh, says you. _I could remember back when we were younger, it was mandatory to take a cooking class in school. All I could really say was that the main thing I remembered was fire. During the class, Takuya had almost burned the entire school down. And that, I had to admit, was probably one of his greatest accomplishments. "And rumors don't matter to us; we've already been told we have to go to the Forest Terminal."

And so, thus, when the remembrance of the Forest Terminal put back in our minds, we left the little restaurant, but not without a small token of the peacock's appreciation. Because, in a little box, he had packed a bit more of his noodles and insisted that I took it with me. It was rather obvious that I was the only one the group that he actually vaguely liked.

As we were walking, Takuya blurted out, "Hey, Kaz, don't walk by me! That food reeks! How can you even stand to eat that stuff?!" I couldn't really tell if his question was rhetorical, because for him, any question could easily have been.

I held the box in my hands, cocking my head slightly. There wasn't anyone even remotely close to me; not even Koji wanted deal with what they considered to be a complete monstrosity. I mean sure, no one said that out loud, but it was rather obvious by their expressions that they were thinking it. But ignoring the looks, I answered, "I can't. You guys just really hurt the guy with your remarks that I decided to let him off easy. Some days I wonder if any of you—" _Aside from Koji, obviously_. "—ever think. Heck, if I were to make a CD of you guys' theme songs, I'd call it 'The Merciless Letdown'. With special vocals by Takuya Kanbara in the song 'I'm an Idiot, Buuuddy!'"

As Takuya sent glared daggers at me, Zoe laughed and said, "Kazuma being nice for once?! Somehow I doubt that!" She crossed her arms and smirked at me in a rather taunting way. I couldn't help but feel offended by the remark.

I locked eyes with her, almost crushing the box in my hands with my grip. "Is it real so surprising that I'm nice once in a while?!" I didn't wait for a response. "Maybe if you weren't so busy finding things that are wrong with me, I could actually consider being a little polite to you! But thus far, you haven't given me much of a choice!"

She took that as if I just said the biggest, most apparent lie in the history of all big apparent lies. "Ha! You couldn't be nice to me for a day!" I assumed that she was hoping I would make some sort of bet, but there was no way in hell I would accept that.

"Not with that attitude! But here, have some noodles!" I opened the box and dumped the contents of the container on her head, throwing the box at her and stomping off toward the Forest Terminal, as pissed as hell.

She spun around and clomped up to me, glaring her frickin' eyes almost clear out of her head. "This was a designer outfit, Kaz! You're gonna pay for a new one, you hear me?!" she snapped, giving me a slap on the cheek.

I crossed my arms, smirking deviously at Zoe's last move. "Was that actually supposed to hurt? If you think that you're smooth with that little stunt you just pulled off, you are dead wrong. Honestly, that was the most pathetic thing I have ever seen. You put the Ancient Warrior of Wind to shame." I shook my head, being completely serious with my words. "And if you seriously think I'm going to pay for that, you've got another thing coming. Make me buy you one and I'll shove that fancy little hat of yours down your throat."

She said nothing, just stared at me in slight trepidation. I could see in her eyes that she was slightly scared of me, and that was exactly what I wanted. She knew I wouldn't hesitate in doing something, so that meant she probably wouldn't try anything. There would be no real interferences from her, then, another person out of my way.

I turned away from the group, scowling. "So if you know what's good for you, stay out of my way." I was about to walk away again, toward the Forest Terminal. I would get to my destination, alone or in a group. It didn't really matter to me either way.

When I took a step, I was suddenly purged into immense agony, my head began to throb as if the loudest of noises was blaring in my ears. I clutched my head and cried out, falling to my knees. I was quivering; it felt like energy was being drawn from my heart, my soul.

In an instant, the group was around me, their fast footsteps sounding like explosions to me. Everything I heard seemed to be amplified and the colors of my surrounds began to blur and each individual shade burned my eyes in many, painful ways. Each hue had its own individual impact, different from all others. But then, all of the colors around me that had began to make less and less sense began to take form. Shapes and designs swirled all around me in a dizzying motion, shapes and designs that I began to recognize. They were people, places, things. They were of the real world, the places and things I had seen in my life there. It was as though all of my memories were being extracted from my mind and shown before me.

I could barely make out a voice. It was speaking to me, a voice I could distinguish and recognize from all of the years that I had known it. "Kaz, Kaz! Are you okay?!" Out of the other noise and voices that filled my head, I distinguished the voice as Takuya's.

I spoke through clenched teeth, the only thing I could do to keep from screaming my lungs out. "The pain! Make it stop! The sounds, the pictures! It all hurts so much!" I cried, tears beginning to be driven out of my eyes.

There was an enormous aching in my chest that easily matched the unique one in my head, like a blade was being driven in me again and again, but death just wouldn't come. Die was something I wanted to do right then, familiar emotions—foul emotions—being driven out of me. I could feel hatred and jealousy, wretchedness and fear, egocentricity and lust. They all came together and formed a feeling unmatched by the physical pain.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out everything I could, at least the pictures and shapes. But they followed me, formations in the blackness that still proceeded to swirl and churn. They were in motion, like it was being played in my mind. I could see people, human people, but I could not distinguish one from another, and their voices were blending: I could not tell one voice from the next. Over it all I could hear a heartbeat, a rapid thudding, running a marathon kind of rate. A panting, a hard, loud panting…

But then I heard a loud, vociferous crashing that should, under normal conditions, have truly deafened me, but I had to bear the pain in my ears now. I couldn't die and get away from it, no matter how much I desired to. The heartbeat was substantially slower…slower…slower…slower…gone…

All of the sounds faded, the only ones I could hear being the ones of the real things around me. The pictures and shapes began to fade away in my mind, dimming away into the nothingness of black space. The pain as well began to subside, but my head and chest were still throbbing, as I figured that they would be for a while. Nothing was ever that easy as to get over something such as that in just a few short moments.

I forced myself to open my eyes, bright light flooding in and nearly blinding me. I blinked hard a few times, letting my vision readjust to the normal colors of the Digital World all around me. The quiet actually felt painful, and the world surrounding me rather dizzying. I held my hands over my face for a moment, trying to get my mental sense of balance back.

"You okay?" _Koji. That voice is Koji._

I found the strength to look up to him, a look of distress carved in the lines of his face and in his eyes, there was much anxiety. My reply came rather softly, more quiet than I had expected or really intended, "I will be as soon as the world stops spinning…" Looking up too long made me begin to sway in a back and forth motion.

Takuya raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms as if he actually took me literally. And by his words, I'm pretty sure he did. "How we gonna do that?" he questioned, as if I for some reason knew the answer to that.

I was much too exhausted to try to think of a good response to that. "You're smart. You can think of something…" And at that moment, I lost all will to keep myself awake and just collapsed then and there…

* * *

I awoke sore and slightly numb. But I soon figured out that part of the reason that was was because of the position I was in. I didn't open my eyes right away; I just took in a really sweet scent and a really warm feeling on my skin. It felt surprising familiar, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. It was very pleasurable, so I knew it wasn't Takuya.

I flexed my fingers slightly and opened my eyes. I immediately saw Koji: he had been carrying me on his back while I was out. I felt a wave of gratitude wash over me and at the same time, my face heat up from the close contact that the Warrior of Light willingly gave me. If anything, I would have assumed that majority would have ruled and they would have made the decision to leave me there. But no, Koji was the bigger man and didn't leave me behind.

My voice came out as a mumbled whisper, "Koji…" I figured that I should probably walk since I was awake now, but I was still every reluctant to move. He was so warm, he smelled nice, and overall just a really alluring essence, a soothing, drawing force. I just wanted to stay right where I was forever.

"Great, now what?" I heard Takuya question in confusion and irritation. He was standing in front of the group, leading the way, but presently, there was a fork in the path. And the path, I soon noted, were stairs carved into the enormous branch of a tree.

I heard a strange noise, as I recognize as one of many of the strange noises that a D-Tector made. Tommy's voice immediately followed, "It's that way." From his statement, I assumed that his D-Tector was projecting a map.

We went up the ascending path and soon came to the path where it was blocked by small branches curving around the path and blocking our way. Takuya was the one to note this. "Tommy, it's a dead end," he stated, as if it was Tommy's fault that the tree decided to block our path.

"Yeah," Zoe agreed, taking the Warrior of Flame's side, as usual. "Are you sure it wasn't the other way?"

Suddenly, the branches parted like the Red Sea and JP's smug voice came, "And for my next trick!" _Okay, that was really retarded. It wasn't you, it was your D-Tector, stupid._

Again, we proceeded up the branch, and on the way Koji and Takuya were noting how the fog could aid enemies in an attack and so I added, "That's why we should go as fast as possible."

Takuya gave a smile that I assumed was faked. "Kaz, it's nice for you to join us," he stated rather sarcastically. Though his smile changed to one that I knew was genuine, so I saw he got some pleasure out of it.

I managed a small, weak smile through my throbbing head. "Not as nice as you think." I didn't feel any pain while I was unconscious, so I was hoping for another opportunity to rest again. And if I was lucky, right then and there.

"Can you walk?" Koji questioned, not really in an annoyed way but more as one of concern. He didn't really seem bothered that he was carrying me all this way. But I knew that he was good at hiding things, so I couldn't be sure.

I thought a moment, pondering. "Well, I can't feel my legs right now, so I'm assuming not," I replied, trying to find away to flex my legs, but finding none. It was at that moment that suddenly all of the fog cleared, revealing just how high up we were.

"I hate it when I'm right…" came Zoe's voice, seemingly out of breath from amazement. Because before us, was a large castle of some sort, seemingly made out of crystal, which was reflecting in the sunlight and appearing to be a many different colors of the spectrum, namely purples and blues.

The path came right to the door of the castle, and in awe, I heard Tommy say, "This place is beautiful!" It was then I knew for sure that he was spending way too much time with Zoe, just by his frequent noting of something rather feminine.

Koji was the one to reply. "Doesn't mean it's not dangerous," he replied coldly, as usual, always on his guard and thinking on his feet. He seemed to be the only one in our group that did that. So it was obvious that everyone else here were going to die.

We came to the front door as Tommy replied, "What if this is where the person from our D-Tector lives? We did get a message to come here." _But the voice never mentioned whether or not it was a trap, did she? 'Cause most people don't say in advance if they're gonna lead us somewhere in order to kill us, only an idiot would be stupid as to follow that._

JP walked up to the door. "Well, should I knock?" he asked, looking as though he was going to do it anyway, even if we said no.

Koji didn't drop the idea of the possibility of there being an enemy here, which was a rather good thing, since at least one person had to be ready for danger, even if the rest weren't. "I still think it's safe!" he stated.

A picture of a legendary Digimon flashed in my mind, causing me to say, "It's safe, I'm sure of it." I got this weird impression that I was here before, or at least my memory told me it was of significance in the past. I wasn't sure where the feeling started, but it filled me and I didn't have much doubt in it.

Koji's eyes shifted to look at me out of the corner of his eye. "What?" Before anyone else could say anything else, his own D-Tector began to make noise. Still keeping his grip on me with one hand, he pulled it out. Immediately, the door of the castle swung open, driven by the mysterious force within the D-Tector.

"Well, at least their polite, I guess," Takuya stated, staring in slight astonishment. _Yeah, and all of the other things that were happening today weren't. They were things you see every day: A Digimon owning a restaurant, trees moving on their own, fog suddenly dispersing…Yep, normal to me!_

"Yeah, that or eager to lead us in there." By JP's tone, it seemed as though he wanted trouble to brew here. If he wanted danger and trouble, he could just walk away and fall down a well. Just turn around and start walking, it's just that easy.

We proceeded on into the castle courtyard, where there was another door, and by the looks, sealed tight. There were designs above the doorway, ancient Digimon writings and various pictures were carved into the colorful, crystal-like stone. I momentarily wondered what kind of DigiStone (WTF?) it was and where it came from. Plus, the architect that made it had to be put into question as well, because otherwise, there would be a giant hunk of shiny rock just sittin' there, just…you know… gathering dust.

"I say we just go inside," came Zoe's…ehem, "voice of wisdom", "How bad could it be? Sleeping Beauty used to live in a castle in the forest." _Nice comparison there, Copernicus._

Koji snapped back, using Zoe's example as an insult to her, which I got slight amusement from, "Yeah, but so did the Wicked Witch." _Nice one, Minamoto. Just goes to show that I'm not the only one that's not afraid to diss her._

With one hand, I managed to point to Zoe. "Yeah, did is the key word. Right now the Wicked Witch is standing before a colorful castle in the Digital World." I smirked slightly, as the Wicked Wi—er, Zoe glared back at me.

"We'll never find out what's in there if we don't go in!" Tommy said, shrugging and making me think with a mental roll of my eyes, W_ell duh! Any more bright ideas, Captain Obvious?_

"Says the kid in the back of the line," JP grumbled, again thinking of himself. It was obvious to him that what Tommy said made him rather annoyed, since if he was in the back of the line, he was most likely not to be hurt or the one that was most likely to be able to get away quickly if the situation called for it.

Takuya walked up the steps and onto the stoop and grabbed the stone, crystal…ful door knocker…thing, banging it loudly against the door, echoing throughout the area. It seemed like it sounded everywhere _but _inside of the castle.

"Maybe no one lives here…" Tommy noted, and I assumed that he was probably looking around for some sort of life.

Takuya veered his head almost completely around, which to me seemed rather humanly impossible and stated, "Maybe you should open up a wishful thinking store, Tommy." _Ehehe, you're really showin' off your smarts, there buddy._

Suddenly, Takuya's D-Tector began to glow a bright crimson light and the castle doors swung quietly open. We were immediately greeted by a white wizard Digimon with a staff that had a snowflake-like design on the top.

He glared at us, obviously ready to attack. "Get back Cherubimon scum!" he snarled, pointing his little wintery staff at us.

"Uh, isn't that Wizardmon?" Takuya questioned, apparently recognizing the Digimon's figure as familiar to him. _No, it really looks like a magician that should be making its home in a snow globe. Shake it up and he'll be pelted with fake snow… Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow………..Okay, what the hell was that?_

I averted my gaze, turning my head only slightly, to Koji, who actually was rather absorbed in the current situation, having his guard up (as always) and seemed to have forgotten that I was clinging onto his back. Well, at least that gave me the reassurance that he didn't mind as I whispered to him in a quiet confusion, "Should I know what he's talking about?"

"But he's a different color—" Tommy was abruptly cut off by JP.

"And meaner!"

Takuya got into a position like he was about to say 'ready, set go!' and just dart off running, running over the so-called Wizardmon in the process and then said in his I-will-inspire-every-frickin'-person-on-this-frickin'-planet voice, "We can beat him! Just like we beat Gigasmon!" _Huh, rhino or wizard from snow globe…I don't know who would win that one._

The wizard seemed to be taken back by the remark, "Gigasmon, but he's one of Cherubimon's goons?!" He paused to ponder this statement and Takuya took this chance to get a word or two in to defend himself.

"Yeah?" _Sure, that's real helpful to us all. We get attacked and you just stand there and say, 'yeah?' That's nice, that's _real_ nice there._

"So…you're _not _allies with Cherubimon?" Snow Globe questioned, finally getting the little picture that we were trying to sketch out for him there . Maybe Takuya's 'yeah' did help…but unlikely, very unlikely.

"Are you kidding?!" Zoe snapped, her hand on her hip as if she was trying to impress all of the people that weren't looking, and using a really girly voice that I could probably imitate only if I sucked in a lot of helium.

"Look, why don't you put that wand down, okay?" Koji questioned, walking up the two more steps to confront Snow Globe, which probably looked rather awkward to him. "We're all on the same side, isn't that obvious?"

Snow Globe lowered his wand to his side, therefore, taking down his guard as well. "This is what comes of fighting too much," he admitted, "Everyone seems to be an enemy. I apologize, friends. How did you find this place?"

"We got a message that told us all to come to the Forest Terminal," Takuya answered, as if it also seemed to be astonishing to him as well, even though he was the one to say it. _Can't make up your mind, can you? _"But there was no one there and when we kept walking, we ended up here at your doorstep."

I turned my head slightly, looking at Takuya with a raised eyebrow. "You really don't know how dumb that sounds," I mumbled, loud enough that I was sure that he could hear me. "Because we didn't make it to the doorstep without barging through the courtyard. It's like returning to the scene of the crime."

Snow Globe either didn't hear me or just didn't pay attention to my remark. "Ah…a message," he said, wonderment in his voice. "Could it be…? My solitude as driven common courtesy from me. I apologize." He gave a respectful bow. "My name is Sorcerymon. Please, come in. I have something important to show you."

He led us in and headed down a crystal, mirror-like corridor that seemed to reflect our every movement. It was almost impossible to know exactly which direction we were headed, since everything in there looked exactly the same as everything else in there.

"Where are you taking us anyway?" Koji questioned, walking easy now that I had brought up the nerve to tell him I could walk on my own now and be forced have air between me and his delightful aura that seemed to envelop him.

"To meet someone," Sorcerymon answered simply, not saying anything more than that. He didn't really clarify much with words, now did he?

I crossed my arms, scowling. "That makes it just about as clear as mud," I stated, finding no real answer in Snow Globe's reply. "You could fill us in more, ya know, Snow Globe…" The last part came off as a mumble, and no one else heard me.

Koji's expression didn't change. It seemed like a frown was permanently molded into the lines of his face. "I bet it's a trap." His voice came out cold, using logic as known as necessary here in the forever dangerous Digital World.

Tommy grinned his normal, playful grin. "You bet everything's a trap!" he exclaimed, probably referring to our experience back in the wonderful world of Play Land. _Giant, toy-filled islands that float are never _ever_ good news…especially when they're being invested by giant, wrestling teddy bears that always are in the mood to knock you down._

"Caution is wise, my friend—" _Okay, friend is used waaay too much in this world_. "—But only within reason. This is no trap, this is a prophesy." He stopped at the wall and looked at us, as if expecting us to know what to do next.

The wall opened like a door, revealing a fairly large, airy room, like of the rest of this stupid castle made of the colorful crystal. I noticed a slightly different crystal formation by the far corner on the ceiling as Sorcerymon lead us in.

"So where is he?" Koji questioned, glancing around for another person or Digimon, of which there were none. It made me come to a perfectly logical conclusion: This place was just as empty as Takuya's head.

"Yeah, spill it, Snow Globe!" I demanded uncontrollably, receiving various stares as a result of the name. I was a little surprised at what I said too, but at least I knew the reasoning behind the name…well, kinda.

He gestured above to the different crystallization I had noticed earlier and said, "Up there." _Well, if that doesn't put the stupid in the Takuya, I don't know what does. The dude's crazy: He wants us to talk to a rock. _"Allow me to introduce our salvation—" _Mr. Rock! _"—Seraphimon." _Fancy name ya came up with there for that colorful little rock, buddy. _

As we came closer, I could eventually see the outline of some sort of human-like being inside the crystal, disproving my ill-supported idea of Sorcerymon being insane (though there was still a chance!). And from what I could see, either the Digimon inside had a bunch of wings or just a really bad hair day when he was frozen in there.

"Um, are we supposed to know who that is?" Zoe questioned, at least making a little sense by her remark and taking the question so she was the only one that sounds like the idiot here. Had to admit, if she kept talking like an imbecile, I would start to like this group.

"Seraphimon was one of the three Celestial Digimon chosen to rule this world," Sorcerymon answered simply, just enough to answer the current question.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Takuya asked, putting a little bit more emphasis on 'we' than deemed necessary. But that was Takuya for ya, always trying to include everyone when making them work. I had always thought it was so because he didn't want to do everything himself. "He's all frozen up." _Thanks for sharing, Copernicus._

"Perhaps not for long. There _is _a prophesy." That was probably one of the most repetitive statements I had heard today. If there was more than one prophesy, I would understand, but by the sounds, Snow Globe was speaking of the same one quite a bit.

A voice—the same one that had been speaking from our D-Tectors—rang throughout the entire room. "_Let your light shine as one!_"

"That was Lady Ophanimon!" Sorcerymon exclaimed, as if hearing the voice that we've heard from our used-to-be cell phones was something to be put into high regards, which apparently to him it was. "She was the one that asked me to watch over Seraphimon!"

"Ophanimon?" Takuya repeated in confusion, as if he was making sure he heard right because of some sort of hearing disability. "She must be the voice that told us to come here!" _Nice inquiry, genius. How long did it take you to figure that little chunk of info out?_

"It's all falling into place. I brought you here because the prophesy says that one day a group of wayward humans would free Seraphimon." _Yup, it's official. It's _definitely _the same prophesy he's talking about here._

"Typical. Humans get to do everything. When is it my turn?" Bokomon crossed his arms, looking down at the ground in disgust of the favoritism shown in legends. It's the Digital World and yet things from another world are more important than its inhabitants. What the heck?

"How 'bout next week?" Neemon asked, turning to his vegetable-shaped friend, a smile plastered onto his yellow, round head. He seemed to be serious of his statement, and quite frankly, I didn't doubt it.

I would have thought Bokomon would have snapped his waistband at a time like this, but he still had his gaze averted as he then said, "Be quiet."

Koji ignored the small conversation between the two little Digimon, mumbling in slightly perplexity, "So what did she mean?" I assumed that was pretty much what everyone was wondering at the moment, aside from me, who at that particular moment was wondering how nutty Snow Globe really was.

"Hey, I bet it has something to do with our D-Tectors," Zoe exclaimed, looking at JP and holding her lavender device that turned her into a little pixie in her hands in such a way that you'd think she was holding a bar of soap and trying not to let it slip out of her grasp.

Suddenly, as if Zoe somehow jinxed it, all of our D-Tectors began to emit a bright white light that shot upward toward the ceiling, moving in a spotlight like pattern as if this was Hollywood or something. It seemed like that if you tried to stop the light by putting your hand through it, it'd pierce a hole right through it.

"Hey, guys, focus them over there!" Takuya called, directing his own beam of light toward the crystallized Digimon that was hooked to the ceiling. We did as directed, figuring that either it would work or just blow him up.

But much to the better side of luck, all of the beams hit the same point on the crystallization and a sound like a lyre rang out as the crystal smashed open and released the being inside, making me sure that it was not just a bad hair day and most definitely like ten wings. He floated down and stood before us, his radiance just emanating off his figure.

"The prophesy!" Sorcerymon exclaimed in awe of the on-going event before him. _Okay, Snowy, you reeeaally gotta get a new hobby besides talking about the same prophesy a million times a day…ever heard of stamp collecting? _"Welcome back, Lord Seraphimon!" He gave a slight bow of his head, and I was sure that if we could see his mouth, he'd be grinning his frickin' snow-logged head nearly clean off.

The royal figure's voice came stern and I could just hear the strength and importance of his being in his voice. It was like booming thunder…like Zeus or someone. "It's good to be back, my faithful servant," he stated, addressing Sorcerymon with seeming gratitude or relief. "You have done well." He took a slight pause. "Sorcerymon, tell me, there's so little I remember."

Sorcerymon seemed scared to tell his master of the current news and condition of the Digital World. "My lord, when your defeat seemed imminent, Ophanimon was able to get you to safety. She sealed you away from danger so you could be revived after the trouble had passed." He had seemed to had forgotten us humans were still standing there, just watching the present conversation.

The Celestial Digimon was taken back by the remark, things apparently coming back into his mind that were long sealed away in the back of his memory. "Ophanimon, that's right! Has she been harmed, why isn't she here!?" _Aww, you love her!!_

Sorcerymon's head dropped, his gaze falling to the floor near his lord's feet. "Truth is often unpleasant, I'm afraid. No one knows where she is." He then pointed to us. "But these humans have been in contact with her, so all is not lost."

"These humans?" Seraphimon looked upon us in such a way that if he had eyes, they would be filled with doubt and probably, more likely than not, just utter disgust. But if the second, that would be because he noticed Zoe. "But they're only children!"

At that moment, even with the doubt of our identity, I felt like he was gazing upon me with a look of knowing and acknowledgement. Like he knew who I was, or maybe, in this case, what Spirit I possessed. But I didn't see how that mattered; compared to most, I was rather inferior. For him, a Celestial Digimon, to find me of some kind of significance, was something of a rarity.

Bokomon, like always, had something to say about the Legendary Warriors. And most of the time, it just seemed to get us in a _kuso_-load of unneeded trouble. "Yes! But they're also Legendary Warriors. And if not for them, you'd still be stuck to the ceiling."

My eyes narrowed as I gave the radish-head a swift, but still light kick to the side of the head. "Bokomon, you're gonna get us killed here!" I snapped, my voice a hoarse whisper. "So you should do us all a favor and just keep your trap shut!"

Seraphimon either ignored or just didn't hear my statement, having no dwelling upon it and just continuing. "Legendary Warriors?! Impressive." And now, if he had a visible mouth, he probably would have been smiling smugly.

Takuya was next to speak, his anger displayed in his irritated tone of his voice. "Hey, listen, just what is going on here?! We've been led all over, getting our _snot _kicked out—"_Nice metaphor, dude. _"—And we don't even know why we were brought into this crazy world!"

Zoe placed her hand on her chest, cocking to one side and said, as if her posture would somehow help this conversation along, "Yeah someone owes us some answers!" _Ya know, if you look like you're dressed to advertize plums or something, it doesn't really look all that convincing, I hope you know._

Koji gave a gesture to whom he was speaking, Seraphimon. "And I think you're that someone," he continued. "So tell us what's going on!" _Now _that's _how you make a lasting impression. Spiffy clothes and a rough attitude. _

As the large Celestial Digimon turned to face us, Tommy peeped, his voice showing fear and nervousness, "Uh…please?"

Seraphimon looked upon us as if he was about to try to squish us under his feet, which I'm sure he could have. "Very well, brave ones—" _Pftt, brave? Yeah, right. _"—I shall tell you. If you want answers, you will have them. The story begins long ago when Human Digimon and Beast Digimon warred against each other. Their battle laid waste on the Digital World, befouling what was once beautiful. But Lucemon—" I shuddered uncontrollably at the name, for a reason I wasn't sure of. "—appeared and brought an end to the fighting. For a time he ruled in peace. But soon he was corrupted—" _Why does _everything _have to go a-bust?_ "—by his own power."

Bokomon cut in abruptly, "My, this story sure sounds familiar." He was immediately scolded by everyone around him because of interrupting the story. "What?" _There used to be a kid in my class that always replied like that after he farted and everyone yelled at him for it. And the teacher would always say, 'you know what!'_

Seraphimon continued, slight annoyance in his voice, but other than that, he didn't seem bothered much. He was a Digimon of much patience. "The twelve Legendary Warriors arose to free the oppressed and abused Digimon. They battled valiantly, and after a fierce struggle, they were able to defeat the tyrannical Lucemon!" He took a long pause. "After peace was restored to the Digital World, champions were chosen to protect that peace: Cherubimon, Ophanimon, and myself. But as before, our time of harmony was short-lived. Cherubimon wanted to control the Digital World by himself, and so, attacked me. You know the rest of the story, thanks to Sorcerymon."

Even though we apparently knew the rest of his little tale, he continued to explain, "Ophanimon rescued me and brought me to safety here, where I have slumbered and regained my strength until I was awakened by you, Legendary Warriors!"

Again, Sorcerymon spoke, this time speaking to us, but referring primarily to his master. "Luckily you came just when we needed Seraphimon most. The Digital World is in a crisis as you can see." He held out his scepter and a hologram of the Digital World like it'd be seen from space appeared in a flash of light.

"Man, the Digital World looks like Swiss cheese!" Takuya exclaimed, sounding like JP in the fact that he just referred to food at a dire moment. It seemed like someone in this group had to make some dumb reference at one point or another.

Sorcerymon dismissed Takuya's comment, his voice not leaving its firm tone. "And the future looks even more bleak. You see, Cherubimon has sent his minions to destroy it…" _Well, isn't that just frickin' peachy?!_

Seraphimon turned to his servant, balling his fists in a show of determination, anger, or a combination of both things. "It is even more serious than I'd imagined. We must find Ophanimon at once!"

Snow Globe bowed his head slightly. "Yes, my lord. Your combined might can truly defeat Cherubimon. And of course, you'll have my help. While you slept, it felt as though I had too, and I've only dreamt of fighting at your side against that evil creature."

"Dear, brave, Sorcerymon. You are a true friend." _Aw, touching. _"Thank you. Your courage gives me strength." _Best buds forever…load-o-crap-o. _

I began to zone out, looking at Snow Globe and his deranged appearance. His pants were puffy and made him almost the size of JP, he wore a giant, pointy hat, and there was paranormal activity going on with his cape. I mean, what the hell? I could see a little evil face on the design of it in the bottom corner. I could assume it wasn't of the Aéropostale company. And there were zippers pretty much all over the place.

When I came back into consciousness and full awareness, it was when Seraphimon was commanding us humans to leave the Digital World. I heard various protests, but it really didn't seem to make a difference whether or not they said anything at all. It was rather clear that Seraphimon wasn't exactly one to change his mind frequently. He reminded me of this dude on a TV show that wouldn't stop eating calzones, not matter what his coworker offered.

But suddenly, behind us, one of the crystal walls shattered into millions of shining shards of glass. And the reasoning behind all that, a large mallet. Yes, as fate would have it, it was the garden gnome of which is Grumblemon. But this time, he had a couple of friends with him. And none of them really looked like they were here to chat.

"Oh good, all brat brigade here!" he exclaimed, leading his group over to us in a calm, we're-gonna-blow-you-up-muhaha kind of walk. They were very confident, like the champion soccer team going against last year's underdogs that were eliminated in the prelims.

"And we're ready to fight!" Takuya declared, getting into a stance that made it seem like he was going to fight them all on his own and without even Spirit Evolving. And some days, I just didn't really doubt it, given the situation.

As more conversation went on, I took this moment to study the other enemies that we would be facing. On his left was an aqua Digimon, a female with various fins on certain limbs of her body. She was primarily shades of blue and green and had round, red eyes. Right after she was introduced as Ranamon, I heard her creepy, southern-accented voice. I thought I was hoping that I was going to go deaf, just so I wouldn't have to hear it any more.

To Grumblemon's right was a Digimon called Arbormon. He sort of reminded me of that of a brown trash can that was run over a couple of times, but it was his mouth that caught me as WTF? It was large and circular, like a dinner plate, and his teeth made up all of it. No lips, no nothing. If he had a girlfriend, which I seriously doubted, I wondered how she would kiss that thing. Because if she tried, she'd technically be kissing his teeth.

To Arbormon's right, stood Mercurymon. His makeup of his body was mainly mirrors and even his face was on one, but he didn't even have eyes (more WTF?). Other than that, his composition was forest green steel and a really pointy head that if you fell on, you would die. Or at least be in a lot of pain as you stuck there like a shish kabob. On his arms were two, large round mirrors that seemed to act as shields, or maybe try to take the focus away from his weirdly-shaped and long legs.

Taunts and threats went back and forth between both groups until the fight truly began. Everyone pulled out their D-Tectors (aside from Zoe) and Spirit Evolved. I pulled out my D-Tector as well, preparing to Evolve. This was just too horrible of odds not to.

But right when I was about to, the energy it normally took to Spirit Evolve felt heavier than normal. I felt a stinging come from my chest and I let out a small grunt of pain, not letting out how agonizing it really was. The event from earlier in the day must have affected this, I knew. I had felt some of the pain up until this moment, but I didn't know why Spirit Evolution had created such a painful feeling. It felt almost like a burning, it covered my body from head to toe, and I couldn't make it stop.

My hands flew up to my head again, pressure making the pain lessen only vaguely. Pictures again began to swirl in my mind, silhouettes and figures making no sense. And I wasn't sure if I wanted to understand, either. Flashes and sparks transfigured in various images of light. But within all of this light, I could see a single shadow of something inhuman. It seemed to be searching my memories, searching for something specific. Everything I recognized was of a certain significance, and even within it all I could make out a single, definite outline: Koichi.

My mind seemed to focus on him a moment, as if examining the features that I couldn't clearly make out. I had a distinct feeling that it was him, I couldn't mistake him no matter who else it may have been. It was a feeling I couldn't deny, a clear-cut assurance. But I couldn't tell what he was doing; I could see motions and gestures, but what they really meant, I couldn't know.

Things began to circle around him, memories and recollections that were blurry and unclear. Faster and faster they sped, a whirling so loud it hurt my ears even though it was all in my mind. But suddenly…all was black and empty. Koichi and all of the memories with him faded away like puffs of smoke rising from a fire and dispersing.

I slowly opened my eyes, the battle still going on before me. Though now, only Seraphimon was facing the evil Legendary Warriors, and the others seemed worn and beaten. They were pleading to assist Seraphimon in battle, but no matter how much they wanted, he would refuse. This, I could see, was a lost cause, and battle.

Seraphimon waved his arms in a rather ceremonial motion and bright balls of light appeared. "Strike of the Seven Stars!" Each of the glowing orbs were released, but instead of hitting their target, Mercurymon appeared out of nowhere and used his mirrors in a Dark Reflection attack, and the attack ricocheted back at him.

The attack struck him directly and he let out an agonizing, blood-curling cry. A ribbon of blue data swirled around him and Mercurymon began to absorb it in one of his mirrors. The Celestial Digimon disappeared in a flash of red sparkles and in its place, a small, blue egg with a wing-like design floated daintily to the floor.

I felt compelled to get it, and before I knew I what I was doing, I had done so. I scooped the egg up in my arms and took off running down one of the corridors. I didn't care where I went, I just had to get out alive. I couldn't let the evil Legendary Warriors get the DigiEgg; it would deprive us of any hope of saving the Digital World.

With the egg, it was then I realized there was something else in my hand as well. I hadn't realized I had picked it up as well, and learned it was a letter. And by a stroke of luck, it was addressed to me. _Maybe Seraphimon used what was left of his strength to somehow create it for me…He knew who I was, so…_

I could hear nothing but the pattering of my footsteps on the stone flooring and the hoarse sound of my panting in and out. I had assumed that I lost them, but I didn't feel safe enough by staying here in the castle. So with a substantial amount of effort, I had made my way out of the castle.

When in the confines of the trees, I stopped to take a rest. I would be safe for now, I assumed, or at least hoped. So feeling rather contented, I took time to give a good look over the DigiEgg that was now in my possession. I couldn't believe that had been a powerful Digimon such as Seraphimon. For a being so commanding to fall and become a defenseless egg, it was almost unfeasible.

The thoughts made me angry. For such creatures to be so ruthless as to wish to destroy others of their kind, it was just inhumane. To stoop to such lows was unjustifiable in my eyes. And through all of this reasoning, one thing was sure: Such beings had to be stopped.


	16. Chapter 14

**Finally chapter 14, baby!! That took way too long for its length. But anyway, just so ya viewer-peoples know, I'm refering to American dollars (ya know, cha ching! $$$) since I don't know the worth of yen and whatever. But yeah, besides that...beware of Elmo. he kills you when you're sleeping...**

* * *

Chapter 14

I set myself down on a large, round rock, resting the Seraphimon's DigiEgg in my lap and scanned the document that was directed to me with curiosity of what it contained and confusion of why I was the designated one out of my group of Legendary Warriors to receive it. I knew there had to be some significance to it and all in all, important words contained within it. It seemed to be spellbound, it having my name written upon it, yet I hadn't once said my name, namely my real one. Not even all of those around me knew of my true identity; so it was special that a Celestial Digimon did.

I held the writings in my hands, my eyes tracing over each word with the delicacy that even my gaze would burn holes into the thin, faultless white paper. Each character was written in almost a medieval-like style, not a mistake in the penned writing anywhere I could see. It read:

_Inheritor of Sprit of AncientZeitmon,_

_It is in this age of disaster that the Legendary Warriors, including yourself, have been chosen from your world peace and harmony. My dear Ophanimon has selected you for the purpose of saving this world from the utter chaos it has been purged into. But it is not of her choice. Because of your determination and courage, you didn't turn back and were called as a Legendary Warrior in fulfillment to our ancient scriptures. For this, I thank you._

_And as the inheritor of the Spirit of AncientZeitmon, a special gift has come as an aid to you. Your ancestor had given it the name of Memory Aura, which is the very name that followed it throughout time in our legends. To feel its power is very minimal, and for the possessor to control its time and effect is almost impossible for the untrained mind. Things of the past—things of your memory, on most occurrences—will flash before you within your psyche. _

_According to our myths, AncientZeitmon had found this ability could be activated through touch. And object of a certain great significance to thyself will, in addition, create this numinous apparition. A memory, yours or that of that piece of which you come into contact with, will illustrate itself within your mind's eye. Be grateful, for this is an influential aptitude of the Ancient Spirits and shall be to you Legendary Warriors as well. _

_Young Warrior, you are highly blessed with this great power. Learn to control its effects and use it wisely. I pray you learn to trust your fellow Warriors. They are human, as you are, and here to complete the same purpose. They were chosen, as you were, and now are fighting by your side as fellow Legendary Warriors._

_I wish you and your friends well on your quest for the Digital World's serenity to be restored so that we may live in solace as we once had. It is the dreams of many a Digimon to see the world returned to the way it had been long ago. And I believe you humans are destined to accomplish that beautiful aspiration._

_My wishes be with you,_

_Seraphimon_

I was slightly awestruck by this document. He mentioned nothing of a sacrifice he was mostly likely aware he was going to make for us. That just went to show just how humble he was, willing to give his own life so mere humans, creatures foreign to his world, could live to fulfill a prophesy that may not even concern us. He truly believed, I learned, that things here would not come to an end as some think it may. He trusted that we would do our given duty here and even though he wouldn't be here to enjoy it, his fellow Digimon could.

That hit me pretty hard as more than just touching. It was sheer valor and altruism that he displayed was something that we should follow, an example we were to learn to put into play in our own lives, maybe not so much as death, but a painful surrender for someone else's wellbeing and happiness.

I shoved the letter in my pocket and bundled the Seraphimon's DigiEgg in my arms, getting to my feet. I forced myself to vow, "Okay, no matter how hungry I am, I can't eat this stupid egg. I might…kill the Digital World or somethin'…or poison myself."

The thought of watching over the putrid egg put me in a somewhat sour mood. It would mean I have to be extra careful in battle, just so I didn't break it or something. If I did, then I'm sure someone, probably Snow Globe, would probably kick the crap outta me. Or at least come somewhere close to it.

I glanced around at the deep forest surrounding me. I didn't realize I ran so far, back toward the Forest Terminal, not that distinct place, but somewhere close to it, I knew. "All right, then. If I had Digimon instincts—_Kamisama _doing something he shouldn't be—I would say I had to go…uh…okay, that visualization didn't help…" I shook my head, my bangs sweeping into my eyes. "Now…figuring that I know at least _something _about this stupid place, I'll just pretend I know what I'm doing and start walking…uh…" I pulled a coin out of my pocket and flipped it. "….that way."

With my mind minimally made up, I began walking in what you could pretty much call a random direction. Thinking of my rather idiotic reasoning, I focused my gaze down on the egg, mumbling as if it could by some irrational chance hear me, "I'm just hoping you don't later think that flipping a coin should decide where to send your army or something. You're—you _were_ a Celestial Digimon, hopefully you have a better way to decide these things…like spin around in a circle with your eyes closed and go whatever direction you face."

* * *

I eventually made it out of the forest and came to as much of a field as you could call just about three strands of grass just…sitting there. It was overall dry and almost plantless—the plants being those three blades of grass—but at least the sun wasn't too hot. Well, as cool as a giant ball of molten rock could possibly be.

"Well, this is…boring," I mumbled, taking in what little was here. "You'd think at least one Digimon could have come up with a frickin' watering can…" I let out a sigh, using my sleeve to wipe excess sweat off my forehead. "At least there isn't anyone here that wants to—" I was abruptly cut off by something nailing me in the back.

I spun around, glaring at the figure that turned out to be a little pink guy. "Hey, what just are you aiming at, you moron?!" I snapped, the amount of that I had gone through throughout the entire day all adding up. "If you want your lights punched out, keep attacking, pipsqueak."

It crossed its arms and gave me a look that was similar to the one Zoe would give me if I said something bad about her looks. "Hmph! Don't you know who I am, little girl?!" Its voice came out high and aggravated.

I raised an eyebrow in perplexity, wanting to cross my arms, but unable to because of the DigiEgg. "Uh…no? You'd think that I'd remember something so tiny and annoying. Oh well, must not be that important, then."

She immediately moved to a pose of hands on hips. _Had Zoe been turned into a Digimon? If so, this would be fun…_ "Oh, you are so impolite! Why don't you recognize me?! I'm Lekismon's Rookie form, Lunamon!" _Oh, I get it now…She De-Digivolved because of lack of energy. Heh, the pathetic loser._

There was a long pause until I couldn't hold it anymore and just burst out laughing uncontrollably. "_You're _Lekismon?! Peh, did you notice how frickin' small you are?! I could bash you over the head with my D-Tector and it'd kill you!"

Lunamon turned her snobby little head away. "Hmph! Is that how you talk to a_ lady_? I'm am utterly appalled, you worthless piece of crap!" she snarled angrily. Yeah, I could assume that I made her _just a bit _pissed off.

I glanced around rapidly, making her even more irritated with my next words, "Lady? Where? I don't see no lady! You drunk or on some kind of meds or whatever?" And honestly, I didn't doubt that she was on _something. _Or just out of whatever kept that stupid bunny sane. "I'm not assuming that when you say lady, you're referring to yourself, are you?" _Play it dumb, that'll make her happy. Yep, as happy as a cat being thrown into a swimming pool…_

Yeah, that made her want to chop me to bits. Her normally pink-purple skin had turned into a deep, cherry red hue. "You're gonna pay for that! Lunar Claw!" She dove at me with claws veiled in darkness, trying to slice me, but I embraced the DigiEgg in my grip and leapt out of the way.

I set the egg down in small distance away and pulled out my D-Tector, a ring of Fractal Code swirling around my hand. "Execute! Spirit Evolution!" The familiarity of Gryphanimon's power filled me, a feeling I had been mourning for quite a while. A feeling that had long since become a part of me, that when it was absent, an emptiness drew in me. It was like losing your best friend from right out of your own arms. "Gryphanimon!"

Lunamon grinned deviously at my transformation. "Ha! You think that your little magic trick can help you? You're fooling yourself, little girl!" She gritted her teeth and balled her fists, gaining a battle stance. The antenna on her forehead began to glow a cerulean hue. "Tear Shot!" An orb of water was fired at me. I sliced it with a kick of my sharp, clawed feet.

I stared into her fiery eyes with slight mystification. "Lunamon, what compels you to do such evil?" I questioned, putting my stance into that of defense. "There is no good reason for you to attack me. What is your driving force? Why do you fight me with such anger, such rage?" A deep perplexity filled me, a desire to know of her compulsion to fight.

She came at me with a Lunar Claw attack. "You are a lowly creature! My own affairs are not to be known by the likes of you!" I narrowly avoided the attack, and as I did so, saw the fury that was burning in her scarlet eyes.

I held her secure and immobile with my hands clamped onto her sides. I held her up so her face was directly in line with mine. "Lunamon, just look at me! I'm a Digimon, just like you!" I locked gaze, gazing hard into her stare.

Her eyes were like stone, her face a mask that hid all of her secret feelings and emotions. All of the things she didn't want known were locked up in her mind. In this specific way, by some, erratic chance, she was just like me. She may be opposing me, desiring to destroy me to satisfy whatever needed satisfying and working under Cherubimon, but putting all of that aside, there was someone in there that was in pain. The reasoning may differ, but all in all, she was similar to me.

She seemed to believe that her façade wasn't seen through. "Under that disguise, you're just a mere human! You cannot measure up to the greatness of Digimon such as I! How dare you compare yourself to me!" Again, she persisted with hiding under false protection, words as a shield to protect herself against verbal attacks.

I sighed, shaking my head in slight annoyance, but I tried to not let it show in such an open manner. "I may not measure up to a Digimon, or any other creature for that matter, but I can still listen, Lunamon. We don't have to fight…but that part may be up to you. I'm not afraid to fight you right here and now."

She seemed taken back, but that notion quickly faded as soon as a villainous grin appeared on her round face. "Fine, then fight me, Warrior of Time! Tear Shot!" A translucent orb of water formed and struck me in the face.

I recoiled back, dropping Lunamon. The attack didn't hurt as much as take me by surprise. But in my moment of distraction, the evil Energizer Bunny used the chance to try to destroy Seraphimon's DigiEgg. "Lunar Claw!" Her claws glowed a blackness of the night as she lunged at the defenseless, completely unprotected, egg.

"Back off from that egg!" I snapped, using the speed of my Spirit to put myself in between my enemy and the DigiEgg I had sworn to protect. I felt the attack cut into my chest, a darkness—an evil—feeling filling me at that source.

I tried to shake it off, ignoring the consuming force that was flooding into me. _Remember the good things…the things you love…But…do those things really make me happy? Do those people really love me back? What I saw at the TV Forest…how everyone treats me…maybe they don't care about me at all. Was I deceiving myself? But wait…Koji…he cares, right? He didn't leave me behind when we got to the Forest Terminal, he never left me…yet…what if it's all just a façade? Have faith, Miri, have faith…_

Lunamon sneered at my sacrifice for just an egg, something that I'd eat on a weekly basis back home without a second thought. "Well, if you're so desperate to get destroyed, I'll eliminate you first. It's not going anywhere, anyway. Lunar Claw!"

I felt her serrated claws being driven into me over and over. And each time, I felt negative energy being purged into me. I fought against it, trying to keep it from entering my heart and my mind. This struggle made me Di-Digivolve. I lost all concentration in staying in my Spirit form, so it dispersed into nothingness. And that didn't make Lunamon stop her attack.

I let out a yowl of agony, not from the physical pain, but the mental battle going on inside me. I tried not to think of the pain, trying everything I could think of to keep my mind off of it. Without my actual realization, I began to sing softly the words to a song, "…So far away, I wish you were here. Before it's too late, this could all disappear. Before the doors close and it comes to the end, with you by my side, I will fight and defend. I'll fight and defend…"

Suddenly, Lunamon stopped her attack and chuckled to herself quietly. "Are you singing to your dear JiJi—" _Koji? Is that who she's referring to?_—"to come and save you? I'm afraid he's got his hands full. For the Legendary Warriors are in hot pursuit of those snotty brats." She awaited my response, which she probably expected to be something of anger.

I smiled slightly at the nickname that I failed to come up with on my own that I couldn't help but giggle lightly at. "JiJi, that's cute. And as for snotty brats, except for ehem…_JiJi_, that's completely true. I just never called them that, 'cause I found more…accurate things to refer them to. But it's the thought that counts, Lunamon."

The lavender rabbit seemed surprised with my reaction. "You laugh even though you've lost a battle? And you care nothing of those other humans?" She turned her head slightly, mumbling to herself. Out of all of her words, I made out the single phrase, "I'm afraid I'll never understand this strange human…"

I staggered to my feet, a lightheadedness coming over me. I wavered a little, but steadied myself quickly. "Yeah, strange isn't exactly a word that I would have used…" The next part was merely to myself, "But then again, most people don't really care what I think, anyway." I crossed my arms, thinking about my situation. _Now would be a good time to bust a move and get out of here while I still can. I think the confusion will get her frustrated and make her want to kill me. Isn't that frickin' peachy?_

Out of the corner of my eye, turning my head only slightly, I could see Seraphimon's DigiEgg. It was thus far unharmed, just kinda…sitting there. But then again, it couldn't do that much, now could it? If it suddenly sprouted legs and walked away, well, that'd be new. But hey, now wasn't exactly the best time to trust normality. Here I was, talking to a bunny creature that resembled that of the Energizer Bunny and had the intention span of a caterpillar dying from starvation while trying to think of a way to escape with the egg of a celestial being. Not really what I'd call typical life I faced on a daily basis. My typical day consisted of annoying the _kuso _out of people and dealing with the living hell of which is called school.

I spun around and scooped the egg up into my arms. And when Lunamon noticed my action and whirled around, I gave her a swift blow to the face, just taking off in the opposite direction. That overall seemed as a reoccurring theme here, but it appeared to work pretty well thus far. I didn't really prefer the running, but it was the safest thing while having what I wished could just be my breakfast in my arms. And I figured that Lunamon, being of the rabbit build and stature, could easily catch up to me if she so desired. It was only a moment of time until my head would be caved in from all of the people that wanted to bash me over the head and finally getting that chance. First, little old Energizer here would have the first, powerful blow and then she'd call for all of her buddies to join in on all the fun. _Okay, I should probably stop thinking about that…_

I heard her paws hit the ground with each step, in pursuit of me. She hadn't caught up with me for toying's sake. Wear me down first and then watch me struggle when I was already exhausted. All these evil Digimon were the same. Pain was a mere game for them. And with the arrival of the humans, an unusual, new creature, they had found their new toy to play with, a new thing to test out. Their usual prey had been found now boring, since the new victims had come into existence in the Digital World. It wasn't exactly what I'd call a thing that makes the future kill feel lucky.

It was apparent that she cared more of me touching her than the pain I caused her. Maybe she was one of those few people that were afraid of germs; maybe that phobia was just more common in the Digital World than in the Real World. "You shall pay for touching me with your dirty hands! You are a creature—" I cut her off abruptly.

I cast her a devious grin. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm an inferior creature that does not deserve to lay hands on your radiant beauty." I let out a loud sigh that I'm sure that she heard. She was a bunny after all, so it was rather obvious. "_Kamisama, _I'd think you were speaking to a pervert or something. Sheesh, _damare konoyarou_."

She ignored my remark, though I knew she found irritation in it because of the daggers she was casting me in her eyes. "You shall perish, human! For all of your trespasses and wrongdoings, you will get repayment and from you, your Spirit shall be taken!" In that instant, she was mere inches from me, a burning hate carved into the lines of her face. "Lop-Ear Ripple!" She spun her ears and in a few short seconds, I was encased in a vortex of bubbles.

I was being tossed around inside like an unwanted ragdoll, battered by circling bubbles that stung on contact. I curved my form around the DigiEgg in my desperation to protect it; if it was destroyed, then the whole Digital World could be put in danger. I didn't matter as much as the egg here. As far as my significance in this world, I was just the host to the Spirit of Time, who fails to exist because of using all of its power with the other eleven Warriors when they sealed away Lucemon. I was a mere being that kept something that couldn't survive on its own in existence.

I couldn't be sure whether to think I was being drowned or just beaten to death. The attack didn't feel like water and it really wasn't needed for me to hold my breath. It was moreover a cyclone that since it was made out of bubbles, provided enough air pockets. But not enough air pockets to break free or make any effort of escape. That was my top problem. But then, something came into my mind that seemed to lighten the mood…

Despite the current situation, a smirk broke out onto my face. From there, I just burst out laughing, not at all bothered that I was being whipped in the face by the attack. I just kept the egg in the protection of myself and completely lost control with laughter. Lunamon, I could see out of the very corner of my eye, was staring at me like I had lost my mind.

"You are a strange little nuisance, human," she mumbled, just loud enough for me to hear. Which, because of the current situation, the mumble had to be actually pretty loud. But it succeeded with reaching my ears, annoyance and all.

I continued to giggle to myself, retaining most of my self-control. Well, the little amount that I could muster. I found amusement in the smallest reminiscence of my memory. I felt a warm and fuzzy emotion flow within me with just the mere thought and notions that played within my mind. "You wouldn't call me weird if you knew what I was laughing about," I replied, letting more laughter escape from my lips.

Lunamon ceased the attack at once and I fell to my knees in moments, catching my breath and the DigiEgg still bundled up in my grasp. Before my breathing became even, Lunamon stood mere feet before me and questioned, "Well, girl, try me. Just try and chide me with such immature, lowly words that seem entertain you foolish, little humans." She put her paws on her…hips? No, she didn't have them, since her body was pretty much like this…blob.

I smiled only slightly, focusing my mind on the current situation, trying hard not to think of—_Kuso_. Slightly starting my laughter again, I got to my feet, my legs feeling weak like jelly. "Well, you're not me, so I don't really think you'd understand. It's more of…an in the moment kind of thing…so it wouldn't really—"

I was interrupted abruptly by a bright, flashing light blinding me. I rose up my arm to shield my eyes, but it was almost like something—with similarity to mirrors—was reflecting the sun with much more intensity. Some reflective object (or creature) was bending space to harness the sun's light. And, I immediately assumed, it had to be a Digimon that wanted to pick a fight. I was here too long to not know there was no completely friendly Digimon in existence.

I saw a large, two-legged figure approaching from above. It had large, scale-covered wings on its back, with a span of probably more than eight feet. Its face was covered by a steel mask, only blood red eyes showing through. Its hands held sharp claws and I saw on its back rested a shining double-edged sword. On its chest was a metal breastplate which came to armor-covered legs. Its feet had long, serrated claws, and its reptilian tail swayed behind. I assumed it was a human Digimon with the form of a dragon.

Lunamon, at the sight of this creature, was taken back. I saw her shaking, stepping back from the figure that had now landed a mere few yards from me. Now would have been a really good time to run, but it was rather obvious that that thought didn't exactly make it to my head at that time. How frickin' convenient was that?

The Digimon looked upon me with an expressionless face (well, it _is_ kinda hard to make a face with that giant tin can on your head) and quickly changed its gaze to Seraphimon's DigiEgg was still remaining in my arms. The Digimon could probably sense that it at one time held much power, or maybe could even tell which Digimon it used to be. A Celestial being, I'd wonder what its essence was like. _Which reminds me…I could go for some honey right about now…_

Lunamon bowed her head slightly, to give due respect, or just be a kiss up to the higher-up. "Dear Avaruusmon, I have found the human, just as Lord Cherubimon desired. There is no need for your assistance," she stated, a polite way to say 'just butt out, wouldjya?'

A growl emerged from Avaruusmon's concealed mouth and I found the tone surprisingly feminine. No words; however, came out. I saw that it was moreover the silent type, one to fight and not speak. To a creature such as itself, none of lower standards were worthy of hearing its voice. And all who opposed such, would find themselves…well, actually, they really _couldn't _find themselves for a couple of good reasons.

"My, my. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Lunamon responded, even though in regard to her statement, it probably woke up on the wrong side of the bed _every _morning by the looks. "But if you so desire, I'll give you the honor of destroying the annoying girl. At least I won't have to get my paws dirty. And better yet, for once it shall be peaceful." She smiled what seemed to be a smile of cunning. "I was just about to kill her now when you arrived just in time. You, my dear, can have the first—and final—blow."

"Lunamon! You were ordered by Lord Cherubimon to spare the humans!" Avaruusmon snapped, a firm, female-sounding voice emerging from its lips. _Alright, so now I know the gender of whom is going to blow me up…_ "You dare disobey his orders?!"

Lunamon took a step back, but still kept her smug attitude up, like she wasn't scared of the dragon Digimon, which it obvious it was. "What are you going to do about it, Cherubimon's little pet? You play by the rules and that puts you at high ranks with our master, just as Duskmon, the disheartened moron. All because you're Cherubimon's dear creations, that is why he sees you as dominate."

I stood there dumbly, watching the on-going conversation. It was like I was invisible and it didn't really have much significance if I truly was or not. It was rather easy to see that neither Digimon saw me as a real threat to them, so found no real good reason to kill me right then and there. I could have been writing my will then, since I knew that there was no way of getting out alive if they attacked me. And they would have reason to, as well, since in my possession was both a Spirit and a DigiEgg, both of which could be used for whatever purpose they saw fit.

"Maybe it is for the reason of ruling over you I was placed above you," Avaruusmon said almost haughtily, having to look almost straight down just to see the poor excuse for the Energizer Bunny. "There is no chance in hell that you would have a higher position than I, you _subeta_." Her tone seemed to say that she was about to kill the pathetic bunny right there if she said the wrong thing. And I didn't really doubt it, either.

Lunamon made a 'hmph!' sound, a factor that always made me think of Zoe. "Though are really big words for someone who is so weak," she snarled, obviously challenging Avaruusmon, who was probably both more powerful and had the ability to pretty much kill the bunny in one shot. Not exactly one who _I'd _mess with, but hey, it was her funeral. "I've never seen you fight, little draco. Are you afraid of being destroyed by someone as weak as the human here?!"'

I scowled. "Cheap shot," I grumbled, kicking a pebble with the toe of my shoe, since there really wasn't much else I could do. I could _try_ fleeing, but how far would that get me? I'd have to say…three feet, I'd get three feet. _But hey, it's a downward slope, I could get some real speed if I really tried…_

"Lord Cherubimon has commanded that I do not fight someone else's battle. And this is not my battle, nor yours. We are to spare the human until—" I didn't hear anymore of Avaruursmon's words, since it was at this point that I had the assurance they won't kill me now, and even if Lunamon tried, Avaruusmon would stop her…_I hope._

Well, running down the hill wasn't exactly my brightest plan. For starters, I had hit my foot on a rock, causing me to lose my balance and fall. But besides the lost of pride, the DigiEgg was pretty much the biggest problem that I was presented with. In my whole…falling thing, I had lost my grip on the egg and it flew out of my hands. Though I was lucky to see it didn't break…it just started rolling down the hill. _Isn't this just beautiful? By the time I get it, it's gonna be scrambled._

I jumped to my feet and took off after it. Being round on all sides, it was able to gain some good speed. And even running, I was still two yards behind it, the stupid thing. "If only eggs were square," I grumbled, "this whole process would be a heck of a lot easier." I growled to myself. "Why does this have to happen to me?! Something really hates me! I'm being outrun by a stupid egg that doesn't even know what it's doing!"

Suddenly, the DigiEgg hit a slanted rock and was shot upwards. _Oh crud_… All I really could do was watch it fly, because there was no way I was going to jump up that high or no way I really could jump that distance. So the main thing was at least try to catch it, and if I missed, well, I'd have breakfast today. But unless I found some fire, I'd be eating it raw. How festive.

So I tried to pick up speed in preparation to catch the egg. But I came to a slight problem. "Okay, who's big idea was it to put a canyon right at this particular spot?!" I snapped, flailing my arms in effort to regain my balance and _not_ fall off the side of a cliff. That wouldn't exactly be the best thing to do, just for my own good.

"Balance, balance, balance—oof!" The DigiEgg slammed right into my chest, knocking me off the side of the cliff. "Oh crap. This egg hates me." I let out a scream, ya know, because it just seems typical to do so at a moment such as this. It didn't feel right just to sit there, plummeting, and say, 'well, this is one way to be knocked into a canyon'.

Suddenly, I felt something grab me and I saw the rate of which I was falling slow down to almost a complete stop. I looked around. The same distortion that saved me those days back had come to my aid again. I felt a wave of familiarity, like I should know what the creature was or moreover, _who _it was. But for me to find an answer, that was never easy.

I decided to speak my mind, knowing it would be dumb not to use the simplest way of getting answers. Duh, questions. "Who are you?" I asked, trying to find the part of the distortion that just might be its face. If it had one.

There was no answer, the form just merely lifting me out of the break in the earth. This is how it was last time, before I got the death threat from it. _Yeah, Fate hates me and everyone wants me dead. Isn't that nice?_

Next question. "Uh, why exactly are you helping me? I mean, don't get me wrong, I didn't want to collide with the bottom of a canyon, but…" I shifted my position all that the creature would allow, making room for the egg of which was out to get me. I barely remembered that vow I made to not eat it, though I'm sure if I tried, it will magically become rotten and kill me. Because if it's going down, it's taking me with it.

Again I got more silence. It wasn't exactly like I expected it to answer me or anything, since most evil Digimon don't really tell their enemies their plans, goals, and so on. It just would have been nice—and surprising—if it would have answered me. But then again, I never really told others my intentions, either. I was rather passive, so I felt nothing I thought of really mattered. And to others, it would have been better if I wasn't even there, much more keep my thoughts to myself. I remembered a time where my thoughts and observations should have been heard:

_I walked through the front door, frustrated with the whole concept of school. Slamming the door behind me, I threw my backpack to the couch and made my steaming trek to my bedroom. When I was pissed off, it wasn't that hard to tell, since when I was home, I didn't really care what punishment I got for reacting to things. Because it didn't really matter for how long I was grounded, since there weren't exactly many places I went to anyway._

_I saw my mom peek through the doorway of the kitchen as I passed by. "Oh good, Mirai, you're home. We have to run to the mall, Yukio's birthday is coming up and I want you to help me pick something out," she stated, using her little gesture that _sounded_ like an optional request, but really was a flat-out demand. _

_I sighed, this happening on many occasions. Yukio this, Yukio that. When was it my turn?! "Fine, whatever," I replied, knowing that no matter what I did, there was really nothing I could do to get out of it. If it came down to it, I would have been tied up and led like I was on a leash like a pathetic puppy that had no sense of control whatsoever. "_Kuso…_"_

_My mom heard the word that I had spat out in a small grumble. "Mirai, you know that I don't like you using that kind of language. If it were me saying that, my father would have made me wash my mouth out with a bar of soup. Don't make me have to resort to that," she snapped._

_She honestly thought I was afraid of that threat. I didn't care what she shoved in my mouth; I didn't care if she shoved it down my throat and choked me to death. At least I wouldn't be here in this hellhole anymore. But I didn't let my thoughts show. "_Gomen nasai_," I mumbled, not meaning my apology. Though all I had to do to make her believe it was have The Face, the ever-apologetic look that I could somehow summon at will. It could get me out of murder._

_Once we had gotten to the mall, I set myself down on one of those benches that were pretty much just strewn about at any place the mall workers felt like putting them. "I refuse to go into any of these pathetic places. If they can't afford to have their own building, then why bother?" I let out a sigh, watching shoppers walk about._

_With remarks like these, I can piss off just about anyone, namely my mom. "I didn't bring you here so you could just sit around. You're helping, and I don't care how negative you feel about the places we go to." Before she could grab my wrist and force me off the bench, I reluctantly stood up. I didn't like anyone touching me; I didn't want anyone near me. Laying hands on me was something that absolutely wasn't necessary. I could do without it, and thus, I won't deal with it. It was just one of my main rules of thumb that I made sure everyone knew._

_My mom drug me left and right to pretty much every store until she found something to buy, and even then, she didn't ask my opinion like she said she would. When we got to the check-out, the clerk rang it up and it came to a total of around thirty-five big ones. I saw my mom pull out a fifty and hand it to the clerk._

_Instead of the fifteen my mom should have gotten back, instead she got two fives and the due change. It caught my eye right away, and I mumbled, "Mom, you got—" She shushed me as her cell phone rang and began a conversation with the person on the other line. "But—" Another shush as she led me out of the store._

_I let out a sigh. It wasn't my problem if she lost money because of a stupid, amateur clerk and her own ignorance. If no one would listen to me, that was their problem. As long as it didn't involve me, I had no good reason to intervene. It was just my way of simply saying that I was keeping my nose out of places it shouldn't be. My business was my business, and there was no way in hell that someone would make theirs somehow become mine._

The mysterious creature set me on my feet on the ledge. It looked upon me momentarily, as if there was something it needed to see, whatever that was. I caught sight of its gaze, locking eyes with it for a split-second. Even though I wasn't sure of where exactly its eyes were, I just got the notion that someone normally gets when they're looking someone in the eyes.

It took off into the air, sending a cloud of dust back at me. I managed to both shield my face and hold on my hat with the same hand. Seraphimon's DigiEgg remained in my other hand, and it surprisingly wasn't damaged in the least from all the beating that it had gone through. But hell, I got more of a beating because of that stupid thing than it did.

I glanced around. "Hey, the dude put me on the wrong side…" I noted, seeing I was on the other side of the break in the earth of which I had come. "Whatever…hey, I smell sea salt…" I glanced around, the slight, familiar scent of the ocean filling me. "Man, this place has so much different terrain in such a compacted space. Next thing you know, there'll be active volcanoes with spewing lava and icy glaciers right next to each other. You'd be standing there, 'I know it's cold, but it feels hot. It's hot, but feels cold. Hot, cold, hot, cold! I'll just call it cot. Cot, cot, cot!"

I began my trek to the seashore, of which smelt more and more of salt the closer I got. Back home I had lived near the ocean, so I was used to the scent and could recognize it with ease. Plus it's what all of the sushi I ate smelled like. Huh, wonder why.

I was soon greeted by the sight of a blue sea. The waves lapped gently against the sandy shore, and I could hear the breeze blowing quietly, whispering quiet words to those willing to listen. The water was a cerulean blue, crystal clear. I could see various Digimon swimming about, and even the majority of them I could see were smiling in pleasure.

Across the water, I spotted an island. It was seemingly flourishing with green plant life and there at the shore, I could see a large, sandy beach that seemed more beautiful than the one I was presently standing. The love of the water made me mourn to go over there.

It wasn't an overall bad idea, I reasoned rationally. I was easing my senses and taking a break from all of the fighting that had occurred in such little time. Relaxation was the best medicine when it came to stress and therefore, I figured, it would be rather intelligent to take this chance.

"And I'll make sure that I don't leave Seraphimon's egg out too long," I told myself, putting through my mind personal reminders before I did something completely thoughtless. I didn't want to be as foolish as Takuya; that would deem the whole world as good as dead. "Otherwise, I would be able to have a breakfast. And a Celestial Digimon as the main course." I cocked my head, wondering if DigiEgg would taste like a normal chicken egg, but then soon dismissed the thought, my mind turning back to the thoughts of the sea.

I smiled to myself lightly, my mind made up. Pulling my D-Tector out of my pocket, I called out, "Execute! Spirit Evolution!"

* * *

**Next up is the beach episode! I gotta write that up (actually think of how it's gonna play out yet) and just a hop, skip, and a jump away is the burger episode!! yeah, baby! (okay, now i'm sounding like Takuya...)**


	17. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15, baby! yeah, i wrote like crazy for this chapter! twenty-three pages on Microsoft Word, and just today, i wrote eight! I've never written that fast before. aaanyway, there's a lot of sappy parts in here, hardly any action. but that'll be in the next chapter mainly. but FYI, in this 'fic, i changed Koji's past a little bit, just to make it a bit more depressing. so i'm not completely going by anime here, but it's under the same basis. **

**also, the story Mirai tells about the water, i wrote that from my own experience with my brother. so if you hadn't guessed, Mirai's cold personality toward Yukio is pretty much based off of my relationship with my brother. (though hers is taken into more extreme)**

**anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 15

From high above the sea, I looked straight down at the vast blueness below me. The smell of salt was strong on my nose, and the way the sun reflected off the waves glittered like (Edward Cullen!) millions of polished diamonds. The heat of the day didn't bother me, it could have been at lot warmer than it was.

The island was a mere half mile away from my current position. Palm trees dotted the sandy, golden beaches, and with my Digimon abilities, I could hear the crash of the tide on the shore, the rocking of the waves up and down, up and down. This seemed like the perfect place to get some R&R, where I could actually put my hair down and take off my sweatshirt so I wouldn't roast to death. The blue tank top I wore under it was the coolest thing I had in my entire dresser.

I picked up the pace, and soon landed on the sand, Di-Digivolving at the same time. I took in the essence of the Digital World's copy of Hawaii. Pulling of my hat and the hair band, I let my artificially black hair blow in the gentle, refreshing breeze. I closed my eyes and listened to all the sounds of the sea. Oh, but how things could be ruined when things were so great…

"Don't be such boys!"

I felt myself cringe in distain at the helium-sounding voice. "Craaaap…" I growled, putting my hair back up and my hat back on, scowling like someone's birthday was just ruined by their best friend dropping over dead right next to them.

Zoe's squeaky voice continued. Kamisama,_ my conscience doesn't talk as much as she does. _"Let's here it for JP, the _princely _Beast of Thunder!"

I nearly choked on the fresh air that suddenly seemed gone at this little element 'He' sounding voice. "He got his Beast Spirit?! _Kuso, _complete _kuso!_ That dude couldn't find water if he fell out of a canoe…or in his case, sunk it."

JP, the boat-sinker himself was next to speak. Or moreover, shout his frickin' lungs out in an overall unnecessary way. "And Zoe, princess of the summer _breeze_!" I could hear that he rolled his tongue at the word 'breeze'. _Not a chance in hell. This breeze is way better than the likes of that plum. I don't know who I detest more: her or JP._

Suddenly, Takuya chimed in with his cheery, yet somehow mocking voice. "And Takuya, king of I'm gonna be sick!" _For once, Takuya, you're absolutely right. If they keep going, I'm going to blow chunks like a fountain._

I began my trek toward the voices of my fellow Legendary Warriors (not matter how worthy of that title they are), knowing that there was no way for me to get away._ Besides_, I told myself with a small enlightenment, _Jiji's there! I can see JiJi! _

The DigiEgg in my arms, I started in a jog, the sand in my shoes causing irritation, but I tried to ignore it. I didn't want to be stuck with the egg anyway, I reminded myself, adding to the reasons to meet up with them again. Another day with that big breakfast ingredient and I would have completely devoured it. So it was for the best, I had to say. Besides, there wasn't much use in being attacked with no other people to help out so just in case, I don't get my butt completely whooped. There wasn't much I could do without a Spirit.

Takuya, the goggle-head wonder, was the first to spot me. "Heyya, Kaz! You didn't eat Seraphimon's DigiEgg!" he exclaimed, leading the group toward me. "That's great! You didn't doom the Digital World as we know it, buuuddy!"

I shoved the egg into his arms. "Yeah, now you take it," I grumbled, "You're lucky that thing isn't scrambled. I nearly broke my neck keeping that stupid thing safe." I glowered under the circumstance of everyone staring at me; except for Koji. Koji doesn't stare: He gazes.

Bokomon tugged on Takuya's pant leg, staying in his as-matter-of fact voice, "Takuya, I suggest that I care for Seraphimon's DigiEgg. After all, I have the most experience with Digimon." Takuya conceded without a word and handed him the egg. "Don't worry, my baby. Mommy's here now." He stroked the egg.

We all just kinda cocked our heads and watched in slight bewilderment of the on-going scene. Yeah, I was most definitely mentally scarred. He was cooing over the egg like he was the one that laid that thing, which by the way, would be freakier than Takuya attempting the waltz. _Takuya dance? That could never happen…_

Tommy smiled pretty much the only smile a kid of his age could without seeming like an evil demon child (_Like my cousin's cat…)_. "C'mon guys! Race you down to the shore!" he exclaimed, taking off running and everyone else except me and Koji pretty much right behind.

"It's been a while, JiJi," I stated smugly, proud of remembering that name that Lunamon had used to refer to the Warrior of Light. It fit him in his little moments he had; just a cute name that you would call the chibi version of him.

He smiled lightly at the name and began to walk on after the rest of the group. "A day away. Did you miss me?" He turned, casting me the sly look that only he could make. Anyone else that would try it would look like a moron. It was a special, only Koji thing. Meant for him, designed to be made from the distinct curves of his face.

I walked up to him and seemed to take him by surprise by crouching in the dirt and carving lyrics into the soft soil, "You know everything that I'm afraid of, you do everything I wish I did. Everybody wants you, everybody loves you. I know I should tell you how I feel. I wish everyone would disappear. Every time you call me, I'm too scared to be me. And I'm too shy to say…"

I was interrupted abruptly by Takuya's voice shouting out, "Hey, you coming?! We're not going to look for you if you get lost!" _As impatient as always…whatever, this doesn't matter anyway…_

I got to my feet, giving the gesture to Koji to ignore my writings and come on. He followed through and we began after the group, the figures that were now only specks dotting the beach, and one big dot. I didn't have to guess who the bigger one was.

Catching up to the group, we continued on. The sun seemed to be intensified as we kept going, and it was rather warm. That water looked really tempting, too. I wanted to take just a little dip, but it would have totally blown my cover for more reasons than one.

I threw my head back slightly, not enough to make my hat fall off, but enough to feel the breeze on my face. If some of the people I hated weren't here, things would have been absolutely perfect. And if they weren't here, it would have left just Koji. _Yeah, spiffiness…_I thought, putting my hands behind my head and letting out a contented sigh.

It caught Takuya's attention, who turned to me, smirking. In a joking manner, he said, "Hey, no relaxation allowed, Kaz." He gave me a playful jab with his elbow on my arm, chuckling to himself. "Not without me!"

I dropped my arms, giving the world's smallest smile that was barely visible. "Alright, then. I'll stop. If I can't, you can't."

His mood fell, but he was still grinning his normal Takuya smile. "But—but." It was easy to tell his whimpering was faked, just for kicks. That seemed to be his reason for everything; it was just how he was. It was a quality I hated.

Either everyone was fed up with our little "conversation" or really desired for R&R, because JP was next to speak, cutting into our verbal jousting. "I can't help but notice that it's summer and we're at a beach." _That's for the info, Captain._

Zoe brought her hand up to her forehead, blocking the sun's rays from hurting her eyes. She giggled slightly, saying, "I've noticed that!" _Well, it's not exactly that hard…_

Tommy was clearly excited by his tone. Like he was when he was at that candy store place on that creepy floating island. Things just become too dandy for that kid. "Yeah, and you know what that means!" _We do?_

Well, apparently everyone else did. "Summer vacation! Eehe!" At the squeaky sound they made, on their faces appeared cheesy smirks. Thrill and eagerness was visible in their tone and plastered on their faces. I just kinda stared in slight embarrassment.

Tommy got into a weird pose, a determined look on his face, and pointed to…absolutely nothing. "The waves!"

Out of pretty much nowhere, Zoe had pulled out a red starfish and was holding it out. _Wait, why's there a normal starfish in the Digital World? Did she, like…bring it with her or something? _"Shell hunting!"

JP threw up his arms, pointing up to the sun high above, which by the way, I think officially fried his brain. If it hadn't already. "Lots of sunshine!" _No, I thought all this light was coming from Koji. He is the Warrior of Light after all. Maybe he's the one that makes the sun shine…that'd be really weird. He could be like 'sun! I command you to rise! Set! Rise! Set! Blow frickin' up!'_

Takuya put his hands on his hips, standing at a point overlooking the sea. "Yeah, and put it all together and whatdya got? The beach, baby!" He propped his foot on a rock, grinning his frickin' head off. _If only Koji could make _him_ blow up…_

At least someone remembered our mission here. "Takuya, aren't you forgetting something?" Koji questioned, his hands lightly propped at his sides. "We're supposed to be on a mission here!" _Didn't I just mention that? _"We'd be stupid to let our guard down!" He turned his head, gazing out at the blue waves.

In an instant, Takuya was at his side, grinning cheesily his head nearly clean off his face. "C'mon! you gotta lighten up, buddy." He began to rub his elbow on the Warrior of Light's side, in his effort to tickle him.

JP popped pretty much out of nowhere at Koji's side, opposite to Takuya. When he reached over, it seemed like he was trying to stroke poor Minamoto's face. "Yeah stop being a party pooper!" He then used his index finger (at first I thought it was his middle and he was trying to flip someone off) and began tickling Koji's other side.

I couldn't help but smile a little as my favorite little Warrior was being tortured and yelling for them to stop. I walked up behind him and in his ear, I whispered quietly in his ear, "Sucks to be you, JiJi…" Before I could safely move away, one of his flailing arms whacked me over the head.

Tommy walked over and said, his head dropped so that the visor of his puffy creampuff-shaped hat hid his eyes. "You're being pooey," he said rather flatly, as if he should be depressed about something I wasn't sure of.

Zoe somehow ended up next to Tommy, her hands on her hips and her head cocked slightly to the side in the girly way she does. "It can't hurt to take a short break; we've earned it." I should have seen that coming. She couldn't fight for the last while because she didn't have her Spirit (of which she apparently got back if I heard her proclamations right) and she _still _didn't want to fight. I thought she just forgot how to Spirit Evolve.

"Zoe's right, we have earned it!" JP and Takuya said simultaneously, JP giving the peace sign (what are you, a hippy?!) and our favorite gogglehead (yeah right) grinning while giving an innocent thumbs-up.

"Kaz, what do you think?" Tommy questioned, turning to me. _Wait, he's asking my opinion? This is a first. _

I let out a sigh. "Well, figuring you're probably going to go forth with your little beach party no matter what I say, so honestly I don't care," I replied, noticing that Koji had the same expression on his face that I did. I cast him a quick gaze. "What do you think, Koji?"

He looked at me momentarily and then down toward his shoes, closing his eyes. He had a small blush on his face. "Fine, whatever. I'm obviously outnumbered here…" He trailed off, annoyance in his voice of his teammates.

Zoe suddenly perked up, smiling as wide as her creepy face would allow and giving the peace sign (I'm surrounded by frickin' hippies here!). "That's it then! All in favor say 'aye'!" she squealed excitedly, her voice hitting a pitch that could shatter glass.

"Aye, aye!" Came the reply. Takuya jabbed me lightly in the stomach and I let out a quiet, expressionless, "Aye, frickin', aye."

Suddenly, Neemon let out a loud, "Ooh!" noise. We turned to see him a few yards away, gazing off at something in the distance. He probably saw a rock or something, I figured, since it doesn't really take much to entertain that dumb bunny.

Bokomon, the little white radish-head, pointed to something in the distance, the same direction that Neemon was facing. "Oh indeed! Look!"

Where he was pointing, up on the shore nearby, was a conveniently-located beach house. It had a thatched roof, maybe bamboo tied together in a very tropical way, and open porches. I could see no glass for windows or anything, just…openness. The weather must have been really nice with minimal storms to risk living or using a building like that. Heck, it wasn't really even a building. It was pretty much a fancy hut.

We made our way over to it, Takuya running ahead of us, screaming his frickin' head off, attempting to sing a song that I was pretty sure he came up with on the spot, "It's the beach, baaaby~! I'm gonna look sexy in my trunks for the baaabes~! Pack the boards, pack the goggles, 'cause it's a party on the beach, buuuddies~! When the sun goes down, we'll get a little feisssty~! Drink uuup and fall dowwwn~! Make out in the moonliiight~!"

* * *

[Intermission—

Me: yeah, I just randomly came up with that on the spot (in just about a minute; I can just do that with little, random songs). I figured he should sing something in that particular moment.

Taky: do I really look sexy in swim trunks?

Me: you're the one singing, buddy, not me. besides, you should be asking Zoe that. I'm not interested in you *looks at Koji*

Zoe: what the hell?! Kimiko, I'm going to kick your arse for that! *is chased by Takuya, who is now singing a different, dirtier song*

—End Intermission]

* * *

We stared at the maniacal gogglehead while walking unsurely behind. That song wasn't exactly something I can say I expected, but hey, for Takuya, it was normal. Somewhat.

When we had gotten to the beach house (and Takuya had stopped singing), we gazed up at the large sign that said 'Toucan Paradise'. Zoe was the first one to speak up, the only one that managed to do so so soon after Takuya's little…jingle. "What's summer vacation without a beach house?" she questioned brightly.

"This is a little too convenient," Koji stated, as always, finding suspicion in every thing. It was a good characteristic to have, especially since everyone else here were everyone-trusting morons. He always thought on his feet. And sitting down.

"I don't know about that, but it looks awfully comfortable," Tommy replied, as if he found no real meaning behind Koji's words of wisdom. That just proved my point: all-trusting _baka_. Didn't know an enemy from a refrigerator magnet.

"WELCOME!" Four knee-high toucan-looking Digimon came barreling out of the beach house and stood before us. They were vibrantly colored and the area from wing down, it seemed to me that they all wore Mickey Mouse pants. Not really sure why, though.

Bokomon rolled his eyes and sighed. "Oh, goodie. It's the Toucanmon. Gaudy little creatures, but very timid. Their attack is Crazy Crest…sounds rather silly, doesn't it?" he questioned in annoyance, seeing that these aren't Digimon I wasn't really going to get along with.

"Honest guests. We welcome you to Toucan Paradise," the lead one, the one that wore a little cream-colored tie, said while taking a respectful bow.

"Thank you, Mister Toucanmon, we're honored you're honored," Tommy responded, not having taken his eyes off the building ever since we arrived here. I don't even think that he blinked in that amount of time.

"Yeah, we're honored, but we're broke," Koji added, speaking for all of us. _Wait, I got that money from Takuya back in toyland… whatever, I'm not paying for them. They pay for themselves, 'cause I'm not made out of money…_

The Toucanmon on the far right wearing the green apron hopped into flight in place. "Oh, please. What's a few DigiShackles among friends? And it just so happens, that today everything is on the house!" he exclaimed. Then he quickly added, "By which I mean free, not served on the roof."

"We know what it means," Bokomon retaliated, eyeing the deranged tropical bird Digimon warily, probably thinking that the Toucanmon thought we were all morons.

The one in the back that was wearing a big, white chef's hat took flight shaking his head repeatedly. "Sorry, so sorry! It was just a small joke, very small!" he cried hastily. Yes, it was certain: They were all idiots.

"It's okay," Tommy replied. _Dude, you're not speaking for all of us. I'm not just gonna take that lying down. Or sitting. Or standing up!_

"That is so not okay…" I grumbled, hating a tiny little kid being the spokesperson for this entire group, whom were all older than him. Especially someone we could squash into the ground with no real problems. Well, maybe the hat would get in the way, with this size and marshmallow shape. But otherwise, if we took the hat…

"No, no, no! We are humiliated! There is absolutely nothing we won't do to make it up to you!" contradicted the one on the left that was wearing one of those tan safari hats. _Well, aren't they eccentric._

Takuya, Zoe, and JP seemed especially excited about this statement. "Oh wow, really?!" JP questioned, not able to conceal his chocolate-covered eagerness. It was official: For something that didn't include work, he could rope us into in about a jiffy (which actually is a unit of time; 1/100th of a second. I was surprised to read that on a sheet of paper posted on the wall at school)

"No, they were kidding. Now go and get yourself lost like the stupid dude you are," I mumbled sourly. I didn't trust these birdbrains; they were just too friendly. Today it just _happened _to be on the house, the day we decide to show up. Besides, anyone that talks with that amount of stupidity had to be lying (unless you were Takuya) about something, especially with the amount of haste they had in their words. There was no way I would let my guard down.

"Really, really, really, double really!" all of the Toucanmon replied happily, all nodding their heads at the same pace, levitating off the ground only about a foot. Yeah, either they really rehearsed this or they were robots. All controlled by the same, insane idiot.

Takuya was the first to accept, smirking his frickin' head off and you could probably hear his stomach growling from Mars. "C'mon, guys! What are ya waitin' for? Let's get in, and _dig _in! Wahoo! A full belly tonight, babá!" he shouted out, nearly deafening everyone standing around him with the addition of probably every Digimon in a five mile radius.

I grabbed onto his arm, regretting it as soon as I did so. "Takuya, did you even think? Doesn't this seem a little too…I don't know…perfectly set up? Hell, they were even _blinking_ at the same time, it was like they were on cue!"

He slapped me hard on the back, grinning wider (though I wasn't sure how that was really possible). "You gotta lighten up, Kaz! Stop calculating about enemies, and more calculating about how much food you're gonna dish in before I get it all! Better eat quick, buuuddy!"

I sighed in annoyance, knowing that he wasn't even going to bother thinking about what I had said. So we walked up the steps into the beach house, where there was a table for eight already set up. _Now _if there wasn't something planned, nothing was.

The Toucanmon with the apron began to place out fancy-looking plates of food. "A little of this…" he began.

"A smidge of that…" the one with the necktie continued, doing the same.

"And…"

"Ladies and gentlemen…"

They both held forth their wings, like two models you'd see on the Price is Right or like Vanna White on The Wheel of Fortune. "Your lunch is served!" They turned to us, like they were expecting us to—never mind.

Everyone all around me gasped at all the different food, gazing at it like it was the most beautiful thing they've ever seen in two worlds. _Okay, I'll admit. That actually looks slightly tempting… no, resist! Resist! You don't know what they're planning; it could be all part of a master plan to kill us all when our guards' down…_

"ALRIGHT! WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?!" came the loud response to the sight that was awaiting us.

"Death do us part?" I questioned quietly, walking over to the table with everyone else, who pretty much lunged at the presented food (aside from Koji; he doesn't lunge, he makes haste) toward the table, and sitting down before a bowl of general tso's chicken (Chinese? I get _Chinese_?! Okay). I picked up the chopsticks set before me, but then quickly put them back down, remembering my manners. Or at least as good of manners as I had.

But of course, Takuya _had _no manners to begin with. He grabbed his chopsticks in both hands and beamed. "Let's dig in!" he proclaimed, as if he had to give the order for everyone to begin the _treacherous _process of food consumption.

"YEAH, WHERE DO WE START?!"

"Okay, seriously. What's with the simultaneous talking all of a sudden?" I questioned, and as I assumed, ignored. But turning to the platter set before me, I called out to the Toucanmon, bowing my head slightly, "_Itadakimasu!_" _They have to believe me, so I have to be convincing…_

They gave a small you're welcome and I proceeded with picking up my chopsticks. Holding them in my grasp I began to slowly spoon the chicken, rice, and various vegetables into my mouth, chewing slowly and cautiously. It tasted just like at home in the real world, I couldn't deny that. But that made me all the more curious and suspicious.

"C'mon, Kaz, it's not going to kill you!" Takuya, who _conveniently_ thought it'd be a great idea to sit right next to me, gave me another hard slap on the back (yeah, he does that a lot).

And since I had chicken in my mouth at the time of the beating, I accidentally swallowed it and then began to choke on it. Entering a coughing fit, I slurped down water in large gulps. I found the coughs painful, so I stood up. No avail, for whatever solution I thought I was looking for and maybe what I would somehow find.

Suddenly, I felt a hard jerk in my gut area and the piece of chicken go flying out of my mouth off somewhere in the sand. I turned, seeing that the one to give me the Heimlich was none other than the one that had the _wit _to react in that moment, Koji. I had never thanked God more that he was around. Because since everyone else hated me with a cold, hard passion, they probably would have just watched me choke on a little chunk of chicken. Some doom.

And a few moments of silence passed, and it was then I realized I was resting my hands on Koji's arms, which were still wrapped around me. _Talk about awkward…_I felt my face turn bright crimson and my entire body just heating up from the contact. I tried to catch my breath, finding it hard to swallow. And I didn't think it was because of my near-death experience, either.

I took a long, deep breath, sucking in a large, cleansing gulp of air. Though it sort of stung on my throat, I said quietly, "_Arigatou_, Koji." I wasn't exactly sure that he even heard me, but I was assuming that he did, since his hands dropped back to his side and he returned to his seat.

Sitting back down as well, I stared down at the barely touched meal sitting before me. _Yeah, look all innocent and stuff. Think you can make everyone think of you as a cute little bowl of general tso's. Well, that's not working with me, buddy._

I was suddenly aware I was both mentally threatening and glaring at my food, both at the same time. Everyone's eyes were upon me and I did my best to ignore their gazes. My eyes lightened their cold, hard stare and I proceeded again with picking up my chopsticks. Still, everyone watched me in silence, as if awaiting the moment where I'll begin to choke again and they'll hold Koji back from saving me.

I glanced at the bandana-wearing boy for a split-second. His eyes were vaguely upon me, like he was making it seem like he wasn't keeping watch, but when I set my eyes on him for that little millisecond, we locked gazes and it seemed like we were staring each other for eons upon eons of time. And something inside me wished we had.

Again, my attention turned back to my oriental food, of which I could smell its strong scent. It was the sauce that hit me the most and even though it had already tried killing me once, I was with the idea of giving it another chance. It was undeniably true that it was probably the thing I least expected to see here, but I wasn't complaining.

Grasping a second piece of chicken in between the two chopsticks in my hands, I dropped it into my mouth, still feeling the gazes of everyone around me. Chew…swallow. After looking up, having a satisfied look on my face, even returned to his own dish, beginning to eat.

"Oh maaan~! I am so enjoying this overcooked ramen noodles with rubbery eggs!" Takuya proclaimed, a clump of yellowy noodles in between his chopsticks and as usual, grinning like they were actually something _to _smile about. He then proceeded with filling his face, forgetting all his manners, that is, if he had any to begin with.

Zoe took a few moments, chewing slowly, as if she had to think about what her taste buds were already telling her and deciding whether she was going to accept what they had to say or not. "This is _the _best lumpy curry I've ever had!" she exclaimed, causing the thought of, _Nani yo?! Is that supposed to make sense?!_ to cross my mind.

Koji eyed her warily like she was the insane –and probably homicidal—maniac she was and he was aware of. "You're weird. Is that supposed to be a compliment?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow in suspicion. _See, this is exactly why he's the smart one. And the only one that is worthy of being called a Legendary Warrior._

JP scarfed the majority of his food down—and snatching some of Neemon's while he wasn't looking as well—and then said to Koji, "Dude, don't you get it?! It's real food like at home! Not some of that crazy meat-tasting rabbit food!"

I mentally rolled my eyes, letting out an annoyed sigh, getting more and more fed up with his food-related complaints. "Still on the cabbages, aren't you?" I groaned, "Get over yourself: that's what the KaratsukiNumemon eat. Deal with it."

"Every bit of it looks exactly like what it is, lumps and all!" Takuya agreed, showing off his food to everyone sitting at the table. "Besides, it's a beach house, buuuddy~! The food could have sand and bugs and stuff all over it and no one would care!" _Uh, yeah we would. And if you get me to eat some of that, and I'll shove it down your own throat and make _you _joke._

"Bring on the bugs!" exclaimed everyone, aside from me and Koji.

"And sand! Hoo-hoo!!" Neemon added excitedly, before realizing all of his food was gone because of the "handiwork" of JP.

"And stuff! Bring on the stuff!" Bokomon continued, as if he was also dumb enough to agree with them. And quite frankly, I didn't deny it: he _was _dumb enough to agree with them. Something in this world must definitely have gone horribly wrong. Horribly, _horribly_ wrong.

Koji and I just kinda sat there, probably the same thoughts running though his head as in mine. _Ugh, we're surrounded by morons. Wherever you step, you find something new and dumb to try and walk away from. I would hate to see what the grand total of all of their IQ's put together is. Probably… negative forty-two._

* * *

After everyone had finished eating, everyone gave their thanks. As Bokomon and Neemon talked amongst themselves, something about the DigiEgg, I called out to the Toucanmon, "_Gochisou sama deshita_!"

"Don't mention it, it was our pleasure!" the Mickey Mouse pants-wearing tropical birds replied gleefully, taking a slight bow and washing some of the dishes.

Takuya was the first to speak up that I cared to notice, slouched in his chair in such a way that gave me the mental image of a drunkard. But the way he rubbed his stomach, the picture of Santa Clause came into my head. _A drunk Santa…I can see that. Ho ho…what was my next word in that?_ "My tummy," he began, as if it was hard for him to remember how to talk. _He should forget more often._ "Feels like a melon."

"Nice to know. If I was a cannibal hoping to eat you," I responded, causing him to give me a look of you-enjoy-sarcasm-don't-you-eh-don't-even-bother-replying-since-I-already-know-the-answer that I replied with a small agreeing smirk and a light shrug.

"Tommy, did you get enough?" Zoe asked, turning to the short, hat-wearing kid sitting to the right of her. She was smiling this smile that was way too innocent to be real, and it made me just want to whack her over the head. But that urge always came, more than on a regular basis. More like…every two minutes.

The tan-haired boy, in response, nodded. "Mm-hm!" he replied, not using actual words in his way of answering to the lavender-y, ditzy blonde.

I heard JP say something, and I glanced his way. _Okay, I stand corrected: JP is the Santa Clause. They're in the same weight class, except JP is more frightening…and doesn't say 'ho ho ho'…I hope…Holy _kuso_, don't go there. _"Oh yeah! Enough… and more!" he corrected while laughing slightly, as if there was something the least bit amusing in his statement.

"Well, I guess it's time to split!" Takuya said suddenly, pushing himself up by pushing down on the table with his palms. I was surprised that he could get up that fast, taking into account all of the food he consumed in such a short time. Any faster, and I would have thought that he had a vacuum cleaner shoved down his throat just so it went down faster to his stomach. But how would he have gotten that in there, I wondered.

"Okay, I'll grab your right arm, Koji'll grab your left, and we'll both pull in opposite directions. If you don't rip in half, then we'll find a saw. That should split you in half," I retorted quietly, enough that only Takuya and Koji had been able to hear me. It was a rather dull statement on my part, but provided me with a contending amount of satisfaction.

All of the Toucanmon, in reply to Takuya's words, all made a loud, irritating squawking noise that didn't really sound nature. It was like they all, in their larynx, all had this weird, mutated Zoe-pitched bird whine. I could hear the resemblance between the tones, too. There was just enough helium to make it right.

"We've imposed enough on you already," Zoe stated, getting up out of her chair and somehow getting in the same pose as Takuya. I assumed she tried for that on purpose. _Yep, there's the helium. The big, fat HE…wait, big and fat? That's JP…Holy crap, does that mean he's made out of helium?! I'll never buy a balloon again…_

"Go on, impose!" the Toucanmon with the necktie urged, leading the other tropical bird Digimon over to the table where the majority of us were still sitting.

"Please, we're beggin' ya, impose already!" the one with the apron continued, making me even more chary of the stupid birds. They wanted us here; they didn't want us to leave. That had to mean something of significance.

"Come on, guys. We should really go. It doesn't seem right…" I stated, also standing up, feeling insecure about the situation. Maybe they were cannibals and wanted us fattened up so they could eat us for dinner. _Well, in that case, JP is already ready for the pickings…_ "_Gomen nasai_, Toucanmon. But we should really hit the rode. There's a long way for us to go."

"Thanks but…we're stuffed as ticks," Takuya mentioned, ticks not being the comparison I would have used. But then he implied my words by adding, "And besides, like Kaz said, we really have to go. We really have to get going. We're kinda in a hurry."

"But you're growing kids, it won't be long until you're hungry again," the one with the safari hat replied, in a sense saying that we were pretty much bottomless pits. "And what kind of folks would we be if we let you leave without supper?"'

"Supper, are you nuts!? I won't be hungry for hours. I mights never eat again." _That is a lie, Takuya. A flat-out lie. If I find what you said to be true, I will hang myself from one of those palm trees outside._

"You say that now," the apron-wearing Toucanmon continued, making me sure that because of all of this unnecessary persuasion, they were definitely planning something. They were most certainly a part of the other side. "But after being in the sun…" He began to flap around. "I'm sure you'll agree with me, and might I suggest you take advantage of our super value summer special!"

Confused glances came upon our faces, wondering what they were planning _now._ They had clearly thought this through, finding so many ways that would keep us from leaving. They used the beauty of the beach, and our mourning of normal food (okay, that one was pretty much just JP, but my point is proven) to tempt us for more.

We all looked to the side, where the apron-wearing Toucanmon had flown over to. There was a curtain concealing something on part of the wall, and he pulled a rope that was hanging down from the ceiling, making the curtains part like the Red Sea in the Old Testament of the Bible. Behind it, was revealed, a large selection of swim gear, ranging from swimming trunks and suits to sunhats to inner tubes and inflatable rings and boats to flippers and goggles.

The chef hat-wearing Toucanmon stepped in front of the apron-wearing one, shouting out at the top of his lungs, smiling as wide of a smile a bird could possibly make, "What he's saying: Is free beach rentals for EVERYBODY!"

First initial thought of mine, which I blurted out in actual words: "Oh…_kuso_."

While everyone else went over to admire all of the wonderful crap displayed in a rather orderly fashion, Koji turned and looked at me. I looked back with an expression of panic written in all of the curves in my face. I began slowly, though he already knew of my presented situation. "Uh…Minamoto, we have a problem."

"Any ideas in that cross-dressing mind of yours?" he questioned, eying me in such a way that I would have guessed this was all just a big joke to him. But by the completely serious look on his face, I knew it wasn't. And I wouldn't have been laughing, even if it was.

"Hey, dressing normally didn't really seem like an option, 'cause my bro was the one with the message…" I mumbled, making sure that no one was listening into the conversation we were having. Everyone was absorbed in all of the swim gear. "But whatever, I'll find some excuse. You go and have a good time."

Koji's eyes moved toward the equipment for a split-second. "You sure? Don't want to make you jealous that everyone else is in the cool, _refreshing _water." A small smile moved onto his face. This, I knew, was a joke.

I grinned slightly back at him, a soft pink going to my cheeks. "Don't worry about me. I'll get enough enjoyment on my own." _Watching you in swim trunks_, I added mentally, making sure not to accidentally blurt that out loud. _JiJi with wet look…_

"All right, if you insist." He cocked his head to the side the tiniest bit, beginning to turn around and join the other Warriors that were still marveling at all of the paraphernalia. I on the other hand, was marveling at other things…

"Yes," I replied, "I do insist. Don't let me hold jya back." I gave him a light shove to get him walking on his own and just watched as he too began to look at everything displayed before the group.

I couldn't help but notice how well he fit in with them. Sure he was a heck of a lot smarter, and a google (that is, one followed by a hundred zeros) times spiffier. But he seemed to balance them out, in a way of lacked personality the group held without him. I had to wonder where I fit in under that. How relevant my existence was to our "cute little posse", what attributes I had that affected the performance of our group overall for the better. If I actually was _worth _being with them, considering the possibility that if I wasn't even there, it wouldn't really change anything. Maybe I was just the useless one, the guppy grouped in with the sharks.

But as soon as the fish-part came into mind, I dismissed it. I was far superior as a Legendary Warrior and had a better chance of survival here than half of those idiots. Scenarios began to flow in my head in accordance with my thoughts: JP would become delirious from lack of thirst and eat the flint, Tommy would drown, trying to catch a fish in the water and then remembering _then_ that he couldn't swim, and then Zoe…yeah, this was the best part...

_She would be walking in the forest, yadda yadda yadda, and suddenly, a frickin' Monzaemon pops out of nowhere. She's chased to the edge of the cliff (just for the kicks of making this last longer, saying that she was actually _able_ to outrun the stupid bear for a good duration of time) and suddenly decides that it would be the best idea to jump off. She falls…and falls…and falls. Until her plum-colored skirt gets caught on a branch and she dangles there like the pathetic subeta that she is. Screaming her head off, suddenly… guess who appears, it's Takuya! _

_He comes out of nowhere, looking up at Zoe, and shouts, "Great weather up there?" _

_Zoe is totally pissed off, but that's not a change of pace, now is it? (I'm not sure who I'm asking all of these questions) She screams at the top of her lungs, "Takuya, get your _oshiri_ up here and save me! And without looking!" _

_But in truth, Takuya already has been looking under her skirt the entire time he was standing there, and by now, her shouting was getting old. So he just takes one final peek, since every look he has was a frickin' steal, and says, flicking his wrist, "Naw, there's so noodles at home I must attend to. So…later!"_

_Zoe balls her fists and glares daggers at Takuya's back of, which was already disappearing in the forest of trees. "Kanbara, you get back here right now or I'll—" She stops, seeing a…(gotta think of random Digimon name that sounds like it could possibly be accurate…) Birdmon flying towards her with a glint in its eye._

_The large bird lets out a squawk. "I'm gonna eat well tonight! It's a giant grape on a stick!" it exclaims happily._

_Zoe tries as she may, but nothing can prepare her for what's coming…_

_A shout erupts, making a bunch of bird Digimon flee from their perches, "No! No! Noooo!"_

I sat there a while with this visualization in my head, a dazed smile plastered on my face. I was completely absorbed in my own imaginings as the world swirled all around me in their business. My head was cocked to the side and I had a smile on my face with a You-could-pants-me-and-I-wouldn't-even-notice-and-you-could-laugh-and-I-won't-even-hear-you kind of expression. Not even the world being destroyed all around me could ruin this image, well, unless Koji was involved, that is.

"Yo, you in there, buddy?" Takuya waved his hand in front of my face, but I overall ignored it. I couldn't really think of an impending doom for this goggle-headed idiot; it was because he was too much of an imbecile to die in some tragic way. He was just…too happy go lucky to perish in a way that could actually come into mind.

I let out a small growling noise, being frustrated overall with my brain failing me. "Yeah, I'm here. Where else would I be?" I questioned rather flatly. Though I wished I really wasn't. I was wishing that I could be alone, somewhere I could take a nice, long dip in that beautiful sparkling ocean that was awaiting me just a few yards away.

Takuya didn't know really how to respond to my question. "Well, I—I, uh…" He trailed off, knowing not on how to continue.

I eyed him warily. "It was a rhetorical question," I responded, "Do you actually know what that is?" Somehow I doubted it, but with his luck, he could pretend to know and actually give me the correct definition of it.

"Uh…" I assumed for him that was a good chance to change the current subject. "…Well, do you like the swim trunks I picked out?" He held up some plain red ones, probably the dullest ones that were there. So to be truthful…no.

"They're…colorful." I looked at them again for a split-second, noting how boring they were in design. My statement was a flat-out lie and my tone was rather flat. "They're unique, I must say…all of the ladies—or lady, I should say—will love you. You might need a stick to keep them all away." I momentarily glanced at Zoe, who was presently looking at skimpy bikinis, imagining Takuya beating her repeatedly over the head with a twig.

Takuya grinned, obviously pleased of my answer. But then suddenly, he looked at me and questioned, "Didjya pick some out, too?" _No matter how much you believe that you're being nice by talking to me and making conversation, get something through your rock solid head: You're. Not. Helping._

Although I wanted nothing more than to somehow be able to enjoy the water in a way that wouldn't blow my cover, I sighed in exasperation, quiet enough that the goggle-headed wouldn't find any suspicion in it (not saying he'd notice anyway). And then I replied, trying to think of some kind of quick, understandable backstory, "I'm not much of a water person…" I trailed off, trying to lead him to think there was something behind this, instead of just the hating of water.

Takuya fixed his expression from a cheesy smile to one of slight apprehension. That is what I wanted him to believe. "Yeah, why? Wanna share with your best buddy?" _Uh, Koji's over there…Oh, you meant yourself. Whatev, that works for my charade._

For a moment, my gaze transfixed on his brown eyes with a look of slight misunderstanding. "You're not my best buddy, for one thing," I grumbled, making my façade all the better and telling the truth both at the same time while dropping my head. "But…truth is…" I lifted my eyes for a flicker of a second and then back down at my shoes, beginning my lieful story. "…it was back when I was seven and my parents and my brother went to the beach. It was really late spring, almost summer, so it was still sorta cold and windy. The water was freezing, but me and my brother, we went in anyway, just for the fact it was the beach.

"And one thing led to another, and my brother, being much larger than I was, thought of the idea to see how long I could hold my breath underwater. But back then I wasn't really an experienced swimmer yet, so thus, I didn't want to. But my brother just told me to stop being a wuss and he forced me under…" I paused, recollecting all my words. "…It was too deep for me to touch the bottom and I couldn't get out; it felt like everything was closing in on me, and since the water was cold, I began to lose feeling in my body.

"It was _Kamisama _knows how long that I was underwater, but all I know was afterwards I felt sick from all the water I swallowed. My brother was hardly punished for what he did and I hated that. How he always got away with stuff, or somehow managed to pin it on me…but it was since then I hated the water. I always found myself terrified that someone will come and drag me under when I least expect it, and…" I decided to stop there, my story convincing and seemingly foolproof. Or at least Takuya proof.

And it was.

Takuya stayed silent for a moment, just kinda gazing at me in slight wonderment and maybe a bit of pity. When he finally found words to say, he stated quietly, "Well…I'm sorry I brought it up, Kaz. And I'll make sure you're not left out of anything. We're on vacation and I wanna make sure you feel like you really are."

I gave him a hard thump on the back, like he had a tendency to give me, smiling slightly and giving the smallest bow of my head. "_Arigatou_."

* * *

I set myself down on the steps of the beach house. "Not left out of anything, huh? Correction: I think you mean _left _out of everything. No nots whatsoever," I mumbled, propping my chin in my palms while watching the waves.

It didn't really mean much to me that I wasn't able to go swimming with them, for the fact I hated all but twenty percent of that group (the twenty percent being that of which is Koji. Duh.), but it was the fact I couldn't go swimming at all. The group was stupid, but the water was great. Diving under and putting the tips of your fingers together to make a v-shape, slicing through the water like a blade. It was an almost natural thing. Once you get into motion, it was like instincts took over and you just suddenly knew how to move within this blue kingdom.

Suddenly, I saw all of the guys burst out of the changing rooms, shouting out at the top of their lungs, "Bonzai!" I laughed to myself at the scene, since it wasn't a normal thing for me to see. I never saw Koji smiling so wide, and that instantly brought me to the conclusion he should do it more often. He actually seemed to be having a good time, making up for the amount of time that he spent scowling. It was too bad, and very much to my own discouragement, that I couldn't be there to enjoy this time with him and smiling with him.

Well, I figured, I'll just have to smile with him way the heck over here. I would might as well deal with that fact that every lie comes with its consequences, though in most scenarios I had heard, it was that the person forgot what the original lie was. Well, truthfully, I doubted that for that to be my own case here.

I stood up, walking into the beach house. I looked around, seeing the Toucanmon busy at work, doing the dishes of our meal that they made no effort to take part in. Even though I didn't trust them as far as I could throw JP, they did do a good job, since they had no idea of what the food was like in the real world, and they did make it seem like a restaurant in the slightest way. I had to give them at least that much credit.

"Hey," I began, picking up a towel and gesturing toward the pile of dishes stacked up in the sink in the most disarrayed way. "Need some help with cleaning?" But without an answer I picked a up a plat from the drying rack and began wiping it dry.

"Naw, just go and have fun with all your friends. We can handle everything here," the one with the apron said, the one that seemed to be doing the most work here. The others had found themselves the job of taking turns turning the faucet on and off.

I let my voice harden. "I don't have any friends…" I looked out toward the water out of the corner of my eye, seeing that the guys had divided into groups of two. Koji was on Takuya's shoulders and Tommy on JP's, and they were having a chicken fight. I could hear their laughter from here. I tried not to think of the partial lie I was telling and kept talking. "…They are just acquaintances. I travel with them because they are my fellow Legendary Warriors. Nothing more." _'Cept for Koji, that is. _

They didn't seem surprised when I said who we truly were, which was what I was expecting and what proved my theory. They knew exactly who we were and why we were here, but most of all, they were most likely against us. Yet I didn't want to say this aloud to anyone, for the chance that they might overhear.

"Doesn't mean you shouldn't have a good time here," the chef hat-wearing Toucanmon answered. "There're plenty of things you can do around this place."

I lifted my eyes slightly from the bowl I was drying. "I'm aware…" My curiosity got to me for a second and I couldn't wait to see the reaction to my question I was going to ask, mainly for prying's sake. "…So where are we gonna bunk tonight?" I tried to keep a smile away from coming onto my lips, but it was difficult.

All of the Toucanmon dropped their jaws and the only one holding a dish, the apron-wearing one, dropped it and it shattered. I wanted so much to be able to read their minds. They were probably panicking on the inside, not expecting this. I was the one that couldn't wait to leave and then here I was, asking if we could stay longer. Heh, imagine.

"What? Everyone was having such a good time—" I gestured outside toward the shore. "—So I just kinda assumed. That _is_ okay, right?" I shrugged innocently, as all of this was such a surprise to me, even though in truth, it was all a joke.

They suddenly grinned the best way something with a beak could, covering up their surprise and anxiety that I had presented. They all said something different, all about how it was fine if we stayed, although it didn't seem like it. In a flash, they were all heading out the door.

Making sure they didn't try anything that would somehow end badly, I followed warily, with a look of perplexity painted on my face. I shoved my hands in my pockets as the Toucanmon ran in the women's changing room. And just as soon as that had happened, a loud, deafening screech followed, a high-pitched voice and all of the Toucanmon came scrambling out. _Ugh, Zoe…_

In an instant, JP and Takuya rushed past me into the dressing room. Koji and Tommy stopped beforehand, standing at my sides. And then, because of Takuya and JP's "heroic act", the dumb blonde let out another scream, and the two boys rushed out, their faces like tomatoes. And they had some marks on their faces, so I'm assuming they got nailed by some stuff.

* * *

"I am so sorry," Zoe apologized, once she got changed back into her clothes and emerged from the dressing room. Her face was filled with embarrassment, hence the beet-colored skin. I couldn't help but chuckle a little at what had all happened.

"So, what happened? Why did you scream before?" Koji questioned. It was when his words came out, I turned to him. I was right, he looked completely dazzling with the wet look. His sleek, black hair shimmered in the light and brought out his shining sapphire blue eyes. Not sparkled, because real men don't sparkle (that means you, Edward Cullen!).

Zoe put her hands on her hips. "Because someone is a Peeping Tom!" she snapped angrily. Though I could see in her eyes that she got some enjoyment out of it, knowing that someone would try and seek a peek at her. But I didn't really think the Toucanmon did it on purpose.

"You're kidding!" Takuya exclaimed, probably thinking that he was going to be the one to get the first look at a naked Zoe. The perv.

"Let me at the creep! How dare he?!" JP growled, putting up his fist, as if that could do anything whatsoever. Though everyone at that second, turned at looked blamingly at him, since he is the most likely person to do such a thing. "What are you all looking at me for, huh?! Ehh!"

"You must admit, it looks suspicious. After all, you are the most likely culprit," Bokomon inquired, pretty much saying my thoughts in words out loud. Neemon nodded his head, actually thinking about this for once.

Takuya put his hand on the steamed chocolate boy. "He makes a good point, JP. Why don't you just admit it?" he asked, eyeing him skeptically.

"Because I just didn't do it, that's why!" JP snapped back, denying everything hurled against him. Though the gogglehead (who at this time actually _wasn't_ wearing his goggles) seemed both unimpressed and unconvinced at the same time.

I decided now was a good time to step in, just in case things got messy and I was the only unlucky person, who just happened to be in the way and got her _oshiri_ kicked. "For once in my life, I must say, I'm siding with Chunky right there. He didn't do it," I stated, causing everyone to turn and look at me.

JP seemed excited that someone was actually believing him for once. "Yeah! That's right! Wait, Chunky?…hey!"

"Okay, then, Kaz, spill it. Who did it, then?" Takuya questioned, then automatically gazing at me in misgiving. "It wasn't you now, was it?"

I crossed my arms. "No matter how guilty this makes me look, being right here at this particular time, but no, it was not me, either. Zoe's not my type. Far from it." The gogglehead in his eyes told me to get to the point, and so I did. "It was the Toucanmon. They accidentally walked in. I had told them that we were staying longer, which I had assumed we were—and for the fun of their reaction—they kinda…flipped out. Next thing I knew, they were darting over here, probably for something to get ready for tonight, and then…here we are." I glanced back over at the beach house, seeing the Toucanmon still sorta stirred up, but nonetheless, going about their duties.

"Okay, so it all was just an accident?" Zoe questioned, trying to hide her sourness that actually no one really admired her all that much. _Face the truth, girlie. It's not the movies when all of the guys swoon over the dumb blonde chick._

"Yep." I turned around and headed back to the beach house, but suddenly stopped, getting an idea. "Hey, you guys want a campfire tonight? As long as the birdbrains don't see Zoe naked again—"The blonde shot me an irritated glare"—I bet I can get that arranged."

The group grinned, and Takuya was the one to verbally admit his excitement. "Would'jya, buddy?! That would be awesome! Thanks!"

I didn't say anything, but the brunette's gratitude made me feel a little warm inside. I thought for a brief moment that maybe I was connecting with them more than I had wanted or thought I had, but the idea was soon dismissed, from the reminder of what jerks they were (I left Koji out of this idea, though) and how many fights we've gotten into, Takuya and Zoe especially. So I didn't know why I felt like I was opening up to them more.

Suddenly, I knew why. My story—my lie—of why I wouldn't go into the water. It was all true. Subconsciously, I hid the fact that it was an actual event from my life and then in my mind, it told me that collaboration in order to admit one of my past scarring experiences. _Or maybe_, I wondered, _it was the Spirit of Time that brought it forth. It had searched my mind for something to respond to the situation, yet in the same way, it was trying to make me trust them…_

But actually, instead of trust I felt, I felt anger toward Yukio. He had forced me under, made me suffer, so much he almost killed me. And it wasn't just one of those overreactions most people would put on a situation, he could literally have drowned me right then and there. _But then…_I turned, peeking back at Koji, _I wouldn't be here…_

* * *

Hours passed, and the sun fell under the horizon, its reflection gleaming on the blue waves before disappearing, the three moons, all glowing different colors, and countless stars sparkling in the sky, together making their shapes and telling their stories. There were many constellations I could recognize, like the Big Dipper and Orion's Belt, but there were many designs I could see that were unique to the Digital World. I couldn't imagine what legends and myths joined hands with them, what mystery was held within the bounds of this world.

With the agreement of the Toucanmon, I made a fire pit on the shore, a good distance away from the water, but still close enough to admire its radiant beauty. I had gathered rocks and made a ring, putting drift wood in and setting it ablaze. For a few moments, I gazed into the flames, watching it dance and sing to its own rhythm.

I felt a hand graze my shoulder only slightly. I turned my head only slightly, but I already knew who it was. Anger filled me at his arrival. "How could you?! Am I not good enough for you for you not to share something with _me_?!" I snapped.

He seemed taken back by my remark and seemed pissed off that I had snapped at him in such a manner. "I couldn't resist, okay?! It was too tempting and it was a moment of weakness! Just forget about it, it meant nothing!"

I jumped to my feet, glared into his eyes and he glared daggers back at me. "You never cared what everyone else would think! You're just too selfish! You just think you're the center of the universe and everything should go the way you want!"

"Why did you trust me in the first place?! I bet you knew I would screw up! What are you trying to cover up that you refuse to tell me?!"

We were almost at each other's throats trying to be the end of each other when Koji strode over to us, a hand in his pocket. "Guys, it's just a bag of marshmallows," he stated calmly, "and you should know not to trust Takuya by now."

"It's not just a bag of marshmallows!" I retaliated in a rather whiny tone, "It's an _empty_ bag that _used_ to have marshmallows in it! I told Takuya to grab them and he ate the entire bag!" I crossed my arms, not moving my gaze off of the gogglehead that had consumed a full bag of marshmallows, of which we _were_ going to roast and eat by the campfire. Well, of course, Takuya had blown that plan to pieces. As usual.

Koji eyed me weirdly, never seen me act so compulsively about food. It was marshmallows and no one, but _no one_ messes with my little white cylinders of awesomeness. "I'm sure there's another bag, guys. I can go look for some if it means that much to you," he answered, smugness in his voice. He was obviously making fun of me.

"I'm coming, too," I stated, "Because, quite frankly, I don't trust you with marshmallows any more than I trust Goggles." My statement made him cast a look at me that said, 'Wait, why are you putting me on the same level as _him_?'

As we walked down the beach, there was an awkward silence between us. Takuya was over by the fire (not exactly the best place to leave him, but whatever), the rest of our posse were helping clean from our dinner (which was just as well made as lunch), and the Toucanmon were pretty much doing what they were earlier, turning the faucet on and off.

So the quiet was rather unsettling; there was a knot in my stomach from all of those movies I'd seen with walks on the beach, but I attempted to shove those thoughts into the back of my mind. Me and Koji weren't like that; as far as I knew, he wasn't interested even, just a friend that liked to toy with my weakness to him. Well, I knew he would do that either way, since he was just like that, since that was just part of his cute little personality…

I had to literally shake my head to get that away from thought. It wasn't like me to be interested in someone. Takuya had been a different story, that was so many years ago. I was short and stupid, nothing much to it. I never really thought I'd be seeing him again ever since our little experiences way back when, when I had hated him with a cold passion for making me seem emo because of that putrid ink. I had thought I'd never forgive for that.

But that just went to prove I had changed her in the Digital World. Maybe that was my soul purpose here, to get a new outlook on life… Again, thoughts were dismissed. I was getting to be paranoid, jumping to conclusions for every little thing. I had to get a grip on myself: Yukio was the one supposed to be here, not me. All by chance I had ended up here, met Koji, reunited with Takuya and didn't _completely_ hate his guts anymore. If there was any fate in this at all then it'd be my fate to die here, that's all.

"Hey, Mirai, I'm wondering something…" Koji's voice surprised me, since I had been trapped up in my thoughts, I hadn't expected him to say anything. I jumped nearly out of my skin, since his voice suddenly coming out of silence startled me.

"Yeah, what is it?" I questioned, trying to think of what Koji wanted to know. And then again, also what he _didn't_ know. He was an intelligent guy, able to calculate outcome and results quite well based on evidence. _He should be a detective…Detective Minamoto…spiffy._

Koji waited a moment before speaking, probably deciding how to word his question or statement or whatever he decided he wanted to say. "Is there a story behind you and Takuya?" he asked suddenly.

If there was something I wasn't expecting, this was one of those things. But then again, it went back to the whole thing of his calculating skills. I sighed since I didn't really want him to be left in compete darkness here. "Well…we met when we were really little, we went to the same school for several years. We were best friends way back when."

Koji seemed intrigued by this. "Okay, so what happened to that? What's with your cold attitude to him?"

"Well, to begin with, since I was little I wasn't very outgoing anyway and he understood that quite well, overall knowing my personality. But I never told him what was going on with me at all, and so he never really had any knowledge of the situation when I began to have a strained relationship with my family over the years, just probably thought it was a phase or something that I'd get over…" Pictures and memories began to fill my mind, an annoying reminiscence. "…And after a while, he was pretty much the one I talked to at school or pretty much anywhere for that matter."

Knowing we were soon going to enter earshot with those in the beach house, we stopped and sat down in the warm sand as I continued, "I began to close off on him as well, shutting out any feelings or emotion besides one always on edge. But he never really judged me for it, even though everyone else had thought I was becoming stuck up, he just kinda…acted the way he always had." I leaned back, resting my head under my arms and looked up at the night sky above me.

"And one day…he bought a bottle of ink and quill and he brought it to school…"

Koji stifled a laugh. "That's original. He's probably the only non-Amish person that would do that," he mumbled, "But go on."

I let out an exhale and complied. "That same day, right after dismissal, I was walking out of school. Takuya was running—" I didn't really want to mention it was because he thought we were racing, that would make me seem like more of an imbecile than I was. "—and he kinda…collided with me. The bottle of in came open…and you can probably guess. That's how my hair is black. I tried to wash it out, but that only made it worse. And it never grew out after these years, either. I never knew why exactly. But things only went downhill from there.

"Everyone was convinced I was emo. I've had my locker stacked so many times by other students, probably thinking I was a cutter or took drugs…or a combo of the both." I momentarily looked around, making sure no one was nearby. "And so…I did what I thought was true. I blamed it on Takuya for that, all of it. For bad relationships with others, for my reputation, everything. And eventually, I got snapped from his presence. I beat him so callously. First time, I had gotten detention for it. But it just kept happening, I just couldn't take it. He kept dismissing what happened and so I kept going with it. It never removed the pain I felt, just…a temporary satisfaction…" I glanced at the little light that I could see from the fire.

I bit my lip, preparing myself for the ending of this little 'story' I was telling. "And eventually…because it happened so often, I was expelled. My mom made me switch schools and since then, I never saw Takuya again until now. And that was over two years ago, maybe three." I looked at Koji, signifying that I was done.

I could see in his eyes that he wasn't exactly sure what to say about all that I had said. Even though he was looking into my eyes, it didn't really seem like he was even looking at me at all. Just looking right through me, past my exterior into my mind. I knew he didn't know what to make of me, whether I was homicidal or just insane. Those were always the two choices.

Finally, he stood up. I did as well, but I figured he would have said at least something. But silence followed and stayed. I could tell his mind was swimming, thinking about all that I had told him and probably if that satisfied his curiosity enough. But overall, I decided not to bother him, since he had a rather mentally busy look on his face, and disturbing him may tick him off a bit. I didn't want to be the guy who never thought before acting, I wasn't Takuya.

It was at this point that I had completely forgot what we walked away for in the first place, if we were going to retrieve something or talk to someone or what. Baffled with forgetting what I came for, I walked back over to the fire, seeing Takuya poking at the fire with a little twig. That, I knew, was just typical.

He quickly noticed my return and no quicker did he realize that his hand was nearly in the flames. He instantly dropped the stick and grasped his hand, letting out a little whine in the process, almost a little puppy whimper. But through all that, he asked me, "So, Kaz, did you get your _precious _marshmallows?" He put a smile on his face when he put emphasis on precious.

I snapped my fingers in realization. "Oh yeah, that's what I was going to get…" I began to walk away again, this time reminding myself time and time again what I was retrieving.

When I had successfully found another full, unopened bag of marshmallows in one of the cabinets of the beach house, I walked down the steps and exited. But as soon as my feet had touched the sand, I stopped, seeing Koji still standing by the shore alone while watching something that didn't even seem to be there.

I didn't know whether or not to walk over there to see if he was okay. I wasn't exactly good with those kind of moments, even if it was Koji, I still knew I would feel quite out of place. So again, lighted by the moons and stars, I pulled out a coin and flipped it. Of course, tails. I knew luck was never on my side; it had teamed up with fate. But I also knew I had to go over there.

I approached quietly, not trying to sneak up on him, but at the same time not trying to irritate him with my disturbance. When I had gotten to his side, I looked across the waves, trying to see something that he was, squinting a bit and trying to make out anything that would catch his outmost attention.

"Koji…" I managed to peep out. "You okay?"

For a moment he was silent, his gaze not moved from the point of which he was looking at. But then he said softly, "…Yeah, just thinking." That was a response I had to assume, since that always meant something wasn't said.

"About what?" I pried, fidgeting with the bag of marshmallows in my hands, passing it from one hand to another anxiously. I didn't know what or could happen here, so my expectations and wonderings had no limits. "If you think I have issues, I think you may be right." I kept myself from smiling at that remark.

He shook his head, his eyes still not moving. "No, that's not it…" I could see that he was biting his lip. "…I have another question…" This time, he didn't wait for a response. "…That story you told Takuya, what you said about that experience with the water years ago…was that true?"

Again, the Warrior of Light had taken me by surprise. But nonetheless, I nodded slowly, answering, "Yeah, it is…Yukio nearly drowned me that day…" I trailed off, thinking hard about what Koji may have been getting at with his question.

He turned his head slightly, looking at me in the corner of his eye, pondering my words. He then asked suddenly, "Have you ever thought about what may have happened if you had really died? How life would carry on with your family?"

That took me back slightly; I had never thought of that at all for any situation that I had confronted. "No, why?" I found my voice rather hushed that I surprised myself. But for the reason of the time of night and current setting, I found it understandable. "Does this have anything to do with my past with Takuya?"

He closed his eyes momentarily, shaking his head. "Not really…mainly…of my own past…" He trailed off, making it obvious that he was getting into a place that he normally didn't go, much less let someone else into. "…If your parents adopted another child to try to fill that gap left from you…how do you think your brother would've reacted?"

I went into thought, trying to find an answer to his seemingly unanswerable question. Finally I conceded to my blank-headedness and replied, "I don't know…we were never that close to assume how he'd react. But…maybe he would feel our parents were forcing things to be normal, like they're trying to make that adopted child a sign that it's his fault…"

Koji grew silent and his eyes trailed back to the rhythmic waves. His face held many painful emotions, many that reflected downcast feelings. When he was sad, it made me want to embrace him and never let go. Because he looked a lot more pitiful than a little kid when he was all depressed and stuff that anyone's heart would break in half.

I cock my head and purse my lips, trying not to let out a little 'ohhh…' kind of sound that reflects the statement 'don't be sad Koji! I wuv you!', namely for the context it was in. "Koji…whatever is bothering you, you can talk to me, you know…" I whispered quietly. "I'm here, I won't walk away and leave you alone."

He turned and looked at me, his eyes filled with angst and anxiety. The sapphire blue color revealed hurt and emotions that were long hidden. Reflecting in the starlight, I could see tears gathering under his eyes.

"Koji…" I felt myself welling up just because of how heartbreaking he looked. His lips were curved into a small frown. His hands, which were normally in his pockets, were clenched and he looked down at his feet for the smallest amount of time and then pretty much everywhere but my face. I could see him fidgeting slightly.

"Koji…" I found that his name was the only thing I could manage to say. I tugged at his sleeve slightly and he caught my drift of wanting to sit down on the sand. I thought my legs beginning to buckle under me and I didn't want to fall. But I was hardly thinking of myself at that time. "…Koji…"

"…I was four…" Koji's sudden words startled me. His voice came out shaky, like he was going to start sobbing, which would probably make me more surprised and scared than anything. I would have been completely clueless of what to do. "…And it was a Friday, I remember…my mom had gotten me up for school—I was in preschool then—and she drove me there like she always did. But we were late in leaving, since I didn't really feel well…and…" He trailed off, biting his lip and blinking back more tears.

I took a strained breath, trying so hard not to cry. "Koji…if you want to cry, just go ahead… although, if you cry… you might make me cry, too…" My voice raised in pitch at the last word, because I had to restrain myself from crying out.

But it almost seemed like he didn't hear me because he kept talking. "…and when dismissal came, it was my father that picked up and he never did…he had this really strained look on his face, like he was trying to hold in anger or trying hard not to lash out at me…" He paused, looking out and where the sun had disappeared under the waves a few hours before. "…It was when we got home, my dad told me what happened…my mom had been killed…" He wrapped his arms around himself and looked into his lap. "…there's this bridge she always had to cross to get to work and…it hadn't been checked or repaired in a long time…and so…when she drove over…it had collapsed…my dad said there wasn't any sign of her…" Tears stained his face, streaming down his face.

I wiped my eyes and put my arms around him as he cried out, "If we would have been on time she would have made it over before it collapsed…Dad said it was my fault and he was right! I killed my mom and…and…" He broke out into sobs, not trying to say anymore.

I pulled myself closer to him, trying to think straight through my own sobbing. _I know now why he asked me about if I had died then back then…his father must have remarried and whenever he sees her, he's reminded of what he blames himself for…he thinks his stepmom was a replacement for his real mom, like his dad's trying to make him forget her…_

I suddenly felt his arms moving around me as well and I could hear his hoarse breathing, trying to inhale through little sobs. And through that I could his heartbeat, a soft rhythmic _thud-thud…thud-thud…_I found the sound rather soothing, though I wasn't the one that needed comforting. I tried to be there for Koji, but there wasn't much I knew I should do.

So trying to relax him, I began to mumble lyrics to a song I remembered, "_As if I had seen them, sometime, somewhere. The stars clustered, the moon was blue. In a single moment, my heart was completely taken from me…_

"_Guided by the stars in the evening of that day, it floated in my heart murmuring… In your eyes, that one regret. Bathed in moonlight, I laugh. In my heart, the one regret I can't erase…Repeats every time I lament over those words. Shivering…in the blue, blue moon…_

" _It seems I've grown up just a little, I've grown accustomed to stretching out a bit in my nonstop everyday life… I'm always searching for an answer… Now it seems to me than only you, haven't changed from how you were on that day… _

"_In your eyes, the one regret, I wonder if I can forget it by running…In my heart, that one regret I can't erase…This tiny bit of me has become accustomed to that pain. I'm laughing…in the blue, blue moon…_

"_In your eyes, that one regret. Bathed in the moonlight, I laugh. In my heart, the one regret I can't erase…Repeats every time I lament over those words. Shivering…in the blue, blue moon… _

"_In your eyes, that one regret…In my heart, that one regret I can't erase…In your eyes, that one regret... Blue, blue moon…_

"_Remembering…in the blue, blue moon…"_

I took a long breath, closing my eyes for a few moments. When I had opened them, I saw that Koji's bright, tear-stained face was on me. Tears still wetted it, but no more were falling. In the shimmering in his eyes, I could see words that couldn't be described by voice. And I understood the words, replying back with my own words of gaze.

Silence was all around us, aside from the quiet regularity of the waves washing and retreating on the sand. Stars glistened on the ocean, sparkles reflecting off the tide, dancing to the music of the sea. A natural, irreplaceable rhapsody.

I looked directly at Koji, locking my gaze with his. I felt my heart skip a beat, a sort of adrenaline empowering me and made me slightly jumpy. I tried to focus at the beautiful color of his irises. Nothing could compare to such radiance, no color in the spectrum could match it. The hue was more peaceful than the cerulean sky of day and more striking than any color in the sky of sunset.

I bit my lip, rising to my feet. It was unknown to me how long we were sitting there in silence, but all I knew was it wasn't long enough. I felt a pull, a compelling force pleading for me not to leave Koji. I didn't know whether to obey or ignore that feeling—this new, mysterious feeling.

But before I could do as much as take a step, Koji stood up, wrapped his arms around me, and his lips touched mine.

* * *

**There you have it people, Koji and Mirai's first kiss. I was going to have it happen for the first time a few chapters later, but i found this as such a good part to add it and couldn't resist. Anyway, plz review! I always love good critz!**


	18. Chapter 16

**I'm finally finished with chapter 16! Twenty-five pages indeed is the charm. FYI, it will be a lot longer wait for me to get chapters out because track has started and I've got practices five times a week. I get home about 6 at night, and so i've got three hours to work on it. But also, instead of waiting until I'm completely finished writing this 'fic, I will be posting two other Digimon ones: If You Only Knew--a tamers fic, and Fireproof--a Frontier one. So getting out chapters of every fic will take some time, and thus, with the addition of practice, each update will be delayed (that is why it took so long to finish this chapter)**

**But enough talking, here's chapter 16. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 16

I was caught completely off guard my Koji's action, but I was surprised to notice I was actually kissing back. I let the intense, fiery feeling in my heart rise to my motives. My arms rose up to his back and cocked my head only slightly, my lips fitting together perfectly with his, as if they were meant for each other.

I felt an adrenaline force pulsing through me, begging for more, more, more. And I conceded to that feeling, wishing for this moment of heaven to never cease. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears, excitement flowing throughout my being. This feeling was unlike any I had ever felt, a feeling of ultimate bliss and perfection.

In what felt like only a few short seconds, we pulled apart, gasping for breath. I could still feel the way his lips felt on mine, soft like velvet. I could feel the sting on my tongue, and the pulsating inside me. My mind was all in a daze, I couldn't think straight. There was this strange dizziness flowing in my mind and all I could see was Koji. To me, nothing else was in existence, nothing else mattered.

Finally, when I had caught my breath, I made out the words, "W-wha…what was…that for?" I startled myself how hard it was to make out the words and how awkward I felt saying such a thing, though my face was already a heated, cherry red. I wasn't really sure why I was questioning his purpose.

He kept his eyes off of me when he spoke, like he should be ashamed of what he had done. "Was it…uncalled for?" he questioned, glancing at me slightly, trying not to look me in the eyes.

I shook my head. "No, Koji, it wasn't. It just…surprised me a little…" I fidgeted nervously, because I didn't know what would become of this conversation. One part of me wanted him to kiss me again, but the other…okay, scratch that. The other part agreed.

"I…I didn't really know any other way of thanking you." He bit his lip and looked away from me completely. I could make out redness on his face, probably a mirror to what mine looked like.

"Well…" I gave him a soft, peck on the cheek, which probably surprised myself more than him. "…You're welcome." And began to make my way back to the campfire.

When Koji and I approached the campfire (I was a bit weak in the knees by the way. And just about everything else as well), the first thing we saw was Takuya. He was dancing by the fire in a rather drunken way, and he was…singing something. As we neared, I could hear and recognize the song:

"I'm the life of the party, so contagious. All the boys wanna catch me, but I'm just playing…

"One, two, come and see what I can do. Two, three, everybody's after me. Three, four, let me tell you what's in store. Let's go, everybody on the floor!

"I'm Supergirl! I'm everywhere! I'm flashing lights, they stop and stare. I'm fire red, I'm on a roll! I'm in your head and everyone knows I'm, I'm, I'm Supergirl!

"I'm the perfect disaster, you can't stop me. Coming faster and faster, you just watch me.

"Five, six, don't you want a little fix? Countdown, get a little crazy now! Nine, ten, see me work the room and then…hold on ready. Here we go again!

"I'm Supergirl! I'm everywhere! I'm flashing lights, they stop and stare. I'm fire red, I'm on a roll! I'm in your head and everyone knows I'm, I'm, I'm Supergirl!

"I'm walking every wire, set the world on fire! No one's shining brighter! Oh, oh, oh… I'm Supergirl! I'm fire red, I'm on a roll! I'm in your head and everyone knows!

"I'm Supergirl! I'm everywhere! Those flashing lights, they stop and stare! I'm fire red! I'm in your head and everyone knows I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm Supergirl! I'm, I'm, I'm Supergirl! I'm, I'm…I'm Supergirl!" He dove to his knees, arms out wide at the last note, smiling energetically. Something must have been totally wrong with that kid.

I noticed everyone was just sitting there watching, as if it was a normal thing. So I decided to ask to anyone that was willing to answer, "Uh…what was that?" Major WTF? moment that I wasn't sure I even should be asking about.

"All those marshmallows Takuya ate gave him a sugar rush!" Tommy exclaimed in excitement. "We told him this was American Idol and we were the three judges! Zoe's Kara, JP's Randy, and I'm Simon!" He then turned to Takuya and then said in an accent, "I'll be honest with you. That utterly sucked."

I chuckled at the impersonation before crossing my arms, glancing at Zoe, and keeping up my charade. "You are so not hot enough to be Kara! Cut your hair and _maybe _you can be Ellen." I then smiled rather deviously. "But you could make Koji take out his ponytail and you'll have Kara!" I nudged the bandana boy next to me with my elbow and turned to him with a small glint in my eyes.

He sent be back a small glare that said, 'I'm gonna kill you for this'. But in response I grinned cheesily, pleading, "C'mon! At least you don't have to sing, look at it that way." I tugged at his ponytail playfully.

He growled slightly and grumbled, "Why do I have to play a girl?" He glanced at me. "No matter what you do, I'm not putting my hair down." I could tell he would have strangled me if I would have attempted to pull out his hair band.

"All right. I won't lay a finger on the Flowy Flow," I conceded, watching him sit down next to the rest of the so-called 'judges'. He cast me a weird glance when I had said 'flowy flow'. I was assuming he had never heard anyone call his hair by a certain name. But what I had said made sense by the way it swayed when he walked. And plus, I found it slightly amusing.

Zoe turned to me, her smile looking very demon-like from the light of the fire. "Kazuma, since Koji's a judge, you get to be a contestant," she said, as if trying _not_ to make me slightly annoyed.

"But can't I be…you know, Ryan Seacrest or something?" I shrugged, not really wanting to sing, since if I did, by the no-so-guyish notes I accidentally could hit would kinda blow my cover a bit. Or because they're so dense, make them at least a bit suspicious.

JP shook his head. "Seraphimon's DigiEgg has that part covered." He gestured over a few feet away, where the egg was just kinda sitting there. Behind it hiding, I saw a weird, slightly larger shape that I couldn't really make out. "And Neemon's doing his voice."

I somewhat understood when the blob, which I had figured out was Neemon, shook the egg and spoke, trying to make it seem like the DigiEgg was the one actually speaking, "And the next contestant, Kazuma Imouto! Hey, when do we eat? I thought Kaz was gonna bring marshmallows!"

"Oh yeah…" I glanced around, recalling I had forgotten the entire bag by the shore. But almost instantly, I stopped looking, because Takuya had began speaking.

"When's it my turn again?" he questioned, almost bouncing off the walls…well, if there _were_ walls here. "I know another reeeeally good song!" _Of course you do. You seem to know all the best songs. I'm jealous._

Zoe turned to the sugar-high gogglehead, who was whining a bit. "After Kazuma does his song. And just to be fair, Kaz is doing a song by a girl artist because you did one. Assuming, though, that he can't hit any high notes." She turned to me, smirking deviously, the fire only adding to the effect. "Besides, I'll like to see this."

I crossed my arms, smiling deviously back. "You'd be surprised how much I can manipulate my voice. My parents told me to make myself useful and get a job as an anime voice actor," I stated, telling her the truth for once. Since it was because of this skill of voice manipulation I was able to keep my cover this long, being able to make a somewhat masculine tone. But all I knew was they were in for a surprise. "I bet I could break glass if I tried. Or maybe even make it to your pitch, Zoe."

I could her growl at me slightly for the comment. "Fine then, if you're so confident in your abilities, then sing something really high… how about Evanescence?" It was apparent Zoe knew of Amy Lee's high voice that she openly expressed in all of her songs.

"All right, then…" I took deep breaths and yawned, warming up my voice. I had to think of a song by Evanescence I knew. I had heard things from the band many times, but never really paid attention to lyrics all that much. So I decided to go with one their songs that had always caught my outmost attention and I was more familiar with.

"…You don't remember me, but I remember you. I lie awake and try so hard not to think of you, but who can decide what they dream? And dream I do…

"I believe in you, I'll give up everything just to find you. I have to be with you to live, to breathe, you're taking over me…

"Have you forgotten all I know and all we had? You saw me mourning my love for you and touched my hand. I knew you loved me then…

"I believe in you, I'll give up everything just to find you. I have to be with you to live, to breathe, you're taking over me!

"I look in the mirror and see your face if I look deep enough. So many things that are just like you are taking over…

"I believe in you, I'll give up everything just to find you. I have to be with you to live, to breathe, you're taking over me! I believe in you, I'll give up everything just to find you. I have to be with you to live, to breath, you're taking over me!

"Taking over me…

"You're taking over me!

"Taking over me…

"Taking over me!"

There was silence a moment as everyone stared at me funny (except for Koji, since he knew the reason why I could hit such tones) until Zoe stated, "Kazuma, I don't know what you are, but all in all, you are definitely _not_ a guy."

"A he-she!" Takuya blurted out in a rather squeaky tone. We turned and looked at him and he was grinning like he was a little five-year-old at the Chuck E. Cheese and he was allowed to do whatever he pleased there.

I turned to Zoe, smirking triumphantly. "And you wonder how _I_ can hit high notes. Why have you never interrogated Squeaky over there?" I questioned, glancing over at Takuya, who was now singing Carmelldansen and attempting the dance with it. All in all, it wasn't really going over well (if it weren't for the blessing of YouTube, I would have thought he was having a seizure standing up). He should have tried the dying tuna instead.

Zoe said nothing, glaring daggers at me, and to fill this silence, Tommy spoke up in his Simon-voice, "Well, I must say, you've got the words down, but that's all it was. You've got to put _feeling _behind those words." He then turned to JP, questioning, "What do you think, Randy?"

I found myself chuckling at how Tommy could address JP as Randy, pose as Simon, _and _giving good singing advice without stumbling on words or letting out some kind of snicker or anything at all whatsoever. I had to admit, the kid was a natural actor. Give him a toupee, and he'd be a natural British, eccentric actor.

I gave a sigh. "Well, before I get…_Randy's _opinion here, I'm gonna turn in for the night. Later, guys," I peeped out, flicking my middle and forefingers over my shoulder and beginning to walk away. The way that they watched me, I knew that they were a bit suspicious. Maybe not enough to be worried, but still, there was that chance it could grow into certainty.

* * *

"Hey, guys, have you ever got the feeling you've been somewhere, but there's no way of telling?"

"You mean like this conversation?" I cast a raised eyebrow to Takuya, who was lying on the floor of the beach house a mere two feet from me. He was still hyped up, and also the reason everyone was still awake. He had to be talking for at least two and a half hours straight, ever since we got settled on the floor of Toucan Paradise (but not without complaining coming from Zoe for the fact we were going to sleep on the floor).

"How about a burger? Have you ever eaten one and then suddenly another one appears?" Takuya was officially nominated as the most annoying person ever. "I love it when that happens."

"I love it when you shove it," I heard Koji snap from the other side of Takuya. And as usual, I agreed with him completely.

Takuya was silent for a moment, giving the notion that the Warrior of Light's words had actually taken somewhat of an effect on him. But figuring that was thinking too soon. "…Hey do any of you want to have a thumbwar?"

"NO!"

His spirits dropped, but in the lighting of the moon and stars shining through all of the many openings of the beach house, I could see him having a thumbwar with himself and grinning the entire time. He let out a little squeal of delight when he found his right hand victorious. "You've always been my right-hand man! Get it? It's my right hand, and I said right-hand man? Ha ha ha!"

Sighs of exasperation erupted all around the room. At least I wasn't the only one that found him at least a little annoying. His puns were just as demeaning as his head was empty. And I think the only one that wasn't even remotely aware of that was him. There was only one thing that came to my mind when thinking of the gogglehead: Typical.

"That was really funny, Takuya," Zoe stated sarcastically from the other side of the room (thankfully). I had never really expected she would state her irritation with _her love_. Normally, she would wholeheartedly agree with him, but this time, this Sugar-Rush-Takuya wasn't something she really found charming.

"Thank you, Zoe," he replied cheekily. There was a small delay in his next words. "Does anyone want to have a staring contest?"

"NO!"

"Play Rock-Paper-Scissors?"

"NO!"

"Okay…" He trailed off, but then I saw him perk up, jerking himself upwards. I noticed he was beaming while watching himself flex his toes. "Hey, have any of you ever pretended that your toes were little people having a sumo wrestling tournament? Yeah, I take a pen and draw little faces on them, too! Anyone ever do that?"

"NO! JUST SHUT UP!!"

He again grew silent and I could make out him twiddling his thumbs, occupied on how they managed to go round and round. But suddenly he jumped into song (surprise, surprise), "I kissed a girl and I liked it! I hope my boyfriend don't mind it! It felt so wrong, it—"

"Takuya, if you don't put in a sock in it, I will shove one down your throat!" I snapped for two main reasons. One, he was tone deaf, and two, I utterly hated that song. Him singing that song was probably one of the most irritating things I had ever heard. And the word 'one' was being generous.

"Eep!" He suddenly shut up, knowing full well, even through his sugar-rush-ness that I wouldn't hesitate for a moment to do whatever I were to threaten. Yet I could still see the insanity in him because of the high-pitched screech that was the 'eep'.

But then out of the blue, a muffled sound that seemed like the puttering of an old car that was runnin' out of juice. Every heard turned and saw, JP in this really stretched out position snoring his frickin' head off. I didn't understand how he could be fast asleep at a time like this (or with a person such as Takuya around). But I assumed that maybe all that fat deflected some of the sound.

This seemed to take our favorite gogglehead's attention. He jumped to his feet so fast I was surprised he didn't get a head rush and made his way over to Mr. Jumpsuit in a flash. Unexpectedly, he began to kick him awake, shouting, "Wake up! Wake up! I'm trying to annoy you here! You're supposed to be AWAKE when that happens!"

I facepalmed. He had officially lost it…that is, if he ever had it. "Okay, guys, no matter what Takuya does, make sure I don't wake up in the middle of it…" I titled my hat slightly, shielding my eyes from any light that may decide that it wanted to peek through at some irrational hour and eventually dozed off.

* * *

Even though I tried to prevent it, it was the light of dawn that woke me up. I had quickly come to realize that it was because my hat had fallen off. I immediately snatched it from a few inches away and placed it back on my head, tucking in my hair. I was lucky no one else was awake. _Wait…_

I jerked my head swiftly, catching a glimpse of the Toucanmon leaving the scene, rather quickly, I should add. I checked my pockets…_I knew it. Those _oshiri_, I'm gonna make sure they regret this…._

It was my turn to kick everyone awake, which is exactly what I did, and before they could really awaken, I shouted out, "Those Toucanmon double-crossed us! Look for your D-Tectors!" But I didn't wait to see if they actually complied, I was already out of the beach house, running across the sand.

"Stop you, morons! Fight like you actually have spine!" I yelled, trailing behind the group bird Digimon. They actually weren't that fast on their feet; it was just the sand that was slowing me down.

"But we don't have spine!" Came the pathetic reply. I didn't really deny that response, because quite frankly, I didn't have a doubt. It explained pretty well why they were so weird in shape at least.

I sighed and looked back at the beach house. Koji was already on my tail, since he was probably the only one to instantly believe my words. Behind him, yards back, everyone was following behind. I noticed Takuya was back a ways, a look on his face like he was hung over. And he seemed to have no recollection of what happened last night. But it was best anyway that he didn't remember my song, just for the slight possibility that he might remember where he heard my voice before. Though, all in all, him remembering was near impossible. But there were times he was quite surprising in words and actions. _Like that kiss…_

I shook those thoughts out of my mind, or at least to the back of it. Now wasn't exactly the best time to be thinking of such matters, especially since I was being out run by birds as round as the soccer ball Takuya used to nail me in the head with every Friday way back when. I mean, sure, it was an accident on his part, but that fact didn't stop the ball.

The Toucanmon, as they ran, seemed to take sudden notice to the colors of the D-Tectors in their hands—er, wings. Because the one with Zoe's D-Tector looked at hit long and hard at it and then suddenly made a decision. "EW! This one's ugly!" he exclaimed, throwing it back and nailing Takuya in the head with it, knocking the gogglehead off his feet. Well, at least that partly made up with the soccer ball thing.

Suddenly, rapidly emerging pillars of water rose up in the sea, quickly nearing the shore. But stopping about twenty yards from the sand, one pillar stayed raised out of the water. And on top…_Aw, _kuso_. It's that frickin' _subeta…

She waved her hand at us ever so daintily, as if she didn't want to destroy us. "Hi, ya'll!" she squealed in her high-pitched, almost Zoe-sounding voice. The Southern accent was strong in her voice, one of the many traits I hated about her. Though this one in particular was fairly high on the list.

"Holy _kuso_, it's the blue version of Zoe!" I yelled, thinking about taking the fetal position right then and there, but then deciding against it because of many possible outcomes that came into mind in that single instant.

"HEY!" I quickly realized that came from both the blonde and the blue. _Hey it's like they could start their own talk show or something. It's _The Insanely Inconvenient Instances of the Blonde and the Blue_! Wow, I'm surprised that came to mind that fast…_

"Why you?! You're just a pesky lil' twerp, aren't chya?!" Ranamon snapped, her Southern-ness make it seem like she couldn't say anything that was serious at all. And that, I found, was slightly amusing.

I decided to join in on her accent. "Why, yes I am, you little sidewinder!" I couldn't help but grin a little bit as her blue face changed colors. I assumed it was going to turn red like a normal angry face, but since it was blue, her skin turned purple. Now that, that was great. It was like a plum was bobbing right there on the pillar of water. Just kinda…up and down, up and down, up and down…

"Don't start with me, 'lil missy!" she scolded, shaking her finger at me. "And do me that favor of being a good little twerp and handin' over your Spirits." _Uh, dude, aren't you aware that we don't exactly…ya know…have them? Weren't you the one that hired that gang of _oshiri_ over there or am I mistaken with another Southern-accented blue thing?_

Zoe stepped in front of us, holding her D-Tector out, with what she could manage as a determined look on her face. "Don't worry, guys! I'll take care of her!" she exclaimed, her voice making her sound like she thought she was on stage or something. The eccentricity was something everyone (including Ranamon, no matter how much I didn't want to admit it) didn't deserve to hear.

"C'mon, someone's gotta help her!" I commanded, turning to everyone beside me for some sort of volunteer. But as I assumed, since no one had their Spirits, no one was in a really good condition to fight. Or really wanted to anyway.

"Hey, I haven't even started fighting yet!" she snapped back, an eye glancing back at me in slight confusion.

I returned the gaze with a nonchalant expression. "I know," I replied flatly. My remark made her glare daggers at me, but I ignored the gaze, turning my attention in the direction of which the Toucanmon had waddled. "Koji!"

Wolf-Boy—_hey, that's a new one_—turned my way as I gestured to the now disappeared birds. We only had their footprints to go on, but that had to be enough. He nodded to me and started off, me following right at his heels. We would catch those _oshiri_ one way or another, even if we had to throw them into a wood splitter. And that, actually, would be rather amusing for me. For whatever reason. And maybe while we're at it, we could throw Zoe in there, too.

I began to run at his side and I turned to him questioning between loud, hard breaths, "Okay, any bright ideas in that mind of Light of yours?" I couldn't help but smile the slightest bit, applying his element twice in one quote. Double whammy.

He raised his shoulders and gently let them fall in a small, fast shrug, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. "Well…for one thing, we should probably consider catching the Bird Boys," he suggested rather arrogantly. If he would have expressed his feelings right there, I would have bet my money that he would have been smiling real smugly.

I mentally rolled my eyes, not even bothering to look at him. "I admire your wisdom, JiJi, I really do." Through my panting, I let out a small sigh. Not because I was annoyed at how obvious his statement was, just because I felt rather dumb for not thinking of a reply such as the one he had given.

He cracked a tiny smile at my remark. "I'm sure you do. You need all the help you can get." His beaming grew into a light chuckle as I shoved him lightly, in a normal, rather good-natured manner. But that only showed him that his statement offended me, signifying success in his goal.

I was forced to change the subject, which probably helped his confidence in knowing I couldn't think of a proper comeback. "Let's stay on track here. Okay, Koji?" I questioned, gesturing to the beach that lied before us.

"If you really want to," he replied haughtily. I knew he was fully aware that he dominated this topic. After all, he was Koji. If he wasn't who he was, then he wouldn't have been here to constantly mock me and it would be someone else. And if so who would have been here instead?_ Dude, this is a random conversation. Rather demeaning as well. But still, if he wasn't here, then I'd bet it would be Takuya here right now instead. Ugh…_

"Yes. I do." I scanned the area quickly, my eyes darting from one place to another. The stupid birds couldn't have waddled all that far. _But still, how come we can't find them?_ I attempted to stay rather positive right then, but only negative thoughts clouded my mind. Because what were the chances we were actually going to find the Toucanmon, and what are the chances that we could actually get the D-Tectors from them. It was obvious that one little pixie couldn't defeat them, so our future in the Digital World looked pretty glum.

Koji paused, taking in the beach around us. "They're gone," I heard him mumble. Then he turned back to me, a stone cold face looking into my eyes. "We might as well go back. No reason to get lost. We'll find them, one way or another."

I nodded affirmatively. "All right. And we should see how 'Lil Lavenderé is holding up. If we're lucky, she'll only have her wings plucked off." _If Kazemon had no wings, then she'd just be a person in a purple bikini with a weird eye-covery…thingy._ "And if we're even luckier, she pissed Ranamon off enough that she shouted so much, she lost her Southern voice."

Koji smiled slightly. "Don't wish too hard, your head will explode." He started back and I followed right behind. I was glad he was in a good mood. Since whenever he felt negative, the whole world went into a dark, stormy gloom. And when he smiled, the sunshine beamed back at him. And it won't even rise without him there to greet it.

I couldn't help but feel slightly contented right then. Sure our D-Tectors, the only things we had that made us useful in this world, were stolen by a bunch of chunky birds that ran a beach house, but we were on a beach on a calm summer day. If there weren't problems going on, people trying to destroy the whole Digital World, it would actually been a somewhat enjoyable time. Excluding the presence of everyone else. They were just…well, to keep it simple and honest, flat-out annoying.

Just then, we saw this weird, blue…squid thingy with a creepy face (although I could hardly see it, since it was moving so fast) was spinning uncontrollably on top of the waves. She had the voice of one would expect to be of the Wicked Witch of the West and was presently shouting something completely indecipherable. It was rotating around and around, fast enough it'd probably get one sick at just staring at it for too long. But looking at it just for a split-second would be your first mistake. At just the glance, nausea would immediately follow. I was just glad that I was far enough away so I didn't have to actually take in what it actually smelled like.

I had to just stare at it for a moment, glad I had a strong stomach as to not barf, despite how dizzying it was. "Okay, uh, JiJi…is it just me or does that ugly squid-thing actually look vaguely like Ranamon?" I questioned, not moving my gaze off the bad excuse for both an aquatic Digimon and a merry-go-round.

Koji was ogling at it a bit as well. "Do you actually want me to agree with you?" he retaliated monotonously. "Because I'm not sure if I really want to."

I made a strange, cheesy smile as I began to speak in a rather deranged tone. "Eheheh, good point." I turned slightly as the giant walkin', talkin' sushi disappeared into the distance to _Kamisama_ knows where. "Okay, do you wanna keep walking and pretend it never really occurred to us to never stop gawking?"

"That'd probably be best."

As we began walking back, I asked suddenly, "What do you think that thing is called?"

Koji shook his head, replying quickly and without a single moment's hesitation, "Do us both a favor and don't even go there."

* * *

Once we got back, I instantly noticed everyone was kinda just standing around, staring out into nothingness. _That's what I call productiveness…_

I shoved my hands into my pockets as I approached the group. "I take it you lot have no idea what to do," I inquired. When no one replied to my statement, I continued, "We tried to find the Toucanmon—_oshiri_—but from the looks, they're already off the island. _Kamisama _knows how they're able to get off the ground. So what do you guys think?" I couldn't believe I was actually asking their opinion. _That's probably a mistake._

Koji was first to speak, the only one with some useful information of this pathetic group. "I say we keep going. They're only gonna get farther from us if we don't follow them. So we should think of a plan and go after them," he stated affirmatively. _See, this is exactly why he's the smart one here._

Takuya cut in, a hung over look still on his face. "After a nap we'll go," he said dazedly. But right at that moment, he fell straight forward and face-planted prostrate into the sand. And from what I could tell, he was already asleep. Some intention span.

Neemon thought this was a great moment to pop in. He walked over and started poking the unconscious goggle-head. "What do you think he's trying to find in the sand?" he questioned, his stupidity, as usual, shining right through. "I think he might have to dig a little farther! Or get a shovel…Bokomon!"

The radish-head, who had Seraphimon's DigiEgg pocketed in his creepy pink waistband, whacked the yellow, sweatpants-wearing rabbit over the head. "I'm not a shovel, you dingus!" he snapped.

The whack pretty much just bounced off Neemon. He stuck his forefinger up in an as-matter-of-fact kind of manner and said, "Oh, I know! I just thought you would have one handy! Get it? I said handy, and you use a shovel with your hands!"

I glanced at Koji right when what could have been the world's worst joke. He had his left eyebrow raised up and it was twitching a bit. I'd say that was one interesting expression he held. But then again, everyone else's expressions (aside from Takuya's. He was still submerged in beach) was pretty much the exact same, except the other eyebrow. That made me conclude one thing: That eyebrow was very special.

_Did I just have an entire conversation with myself about Koji's eyebrow? That's so disturbing…I wonder if anybody else thinks about eyebrow movements…okay, new topic…_I dismissed the thoughts in my head—or at least tried to—and listened as Bokomon voiced his "words of wisdom".

He cleared his throat. "Now, I propose we take off after those scoundrels!—" _Didn't Koji _just_ say that?!_ "—And retrieve the items of which were taken from your possession! Because before you know it, they'll all be in Cherubimon's clutches!" he exclaimed, pumping his fist into the air.

I crossed my arms, gazing at—actually down—at Bokomon while questioning. "All right little Einstein, where do you suggest we go? Got a map in that fancy little book of yours? Or at least something that'll actually be of significance to us?"

Zoe was the one to speak up this time. "Why don't we check back at the beach house? They could have doubled back," she said, trying her 'vewy hawdest' to sound the least bit intelligent. And she was failing, by the way.

I groaned. "Because we already know they're not there! Why would they go back to the scene of the crime? We're just going to be wasting valuable time looking there—we're wasting time _now_ by arguing about the obvious! C'mon, use your head for once!"

And here came JP, supporting his little angel every step of the frickin' way. "Z's right. It couldn't hurt to check. Maybe they forgot their…GPS or something and had to go back," he replied, as if for some retarded reason anyone would find that funny in the slightest way.

I had to force my fists to my side just so I wouldn't punch someone right then. "_Nani yo?!_ Fine, we'll go back to the _kuso_ house! I hope this teaches you some common sense when you realize you were wrong!"

I shook my head as I followed them back (don't worry, Takuya was somewhat—okay, _hardly_—transported along with care) to the place I wished I couldn't see again. The stupid beach house was quiet, as if all was normal yet to this very moment. I could only wish for that satisfaction, but why wish when you already have given all hopes up? Was there really any point behind hoping when there was no hope anyway?

* * *

"Come out! Come out! Wherever you are! C'mon already! Pretty please!" Takuya was screaming his head off in his search for the Toucanmon, running around like an absolute maniac, seemingly having no reminiscence of the night before. That was good for me, and well…probably good for him as well.

I walked over near Koji, who had managed to get into a tree in about three seconds flat. With slight difficulty, I made it onto the branch opposite of the one he was on. From above, I could see Tommy and JP searching on the beach. Much to my amusement, JP got pinched in the _oshiri_ by a crab (a normal crab! WTF?!) and was running around screaming.

As Takuya was searching, I figured he noticed I was standing in the same tree Koji was, and even though he was fully fooled into thinking I was a guy, gay was probably in his mind right about now. This was proven by… "Koji and Kazu-MA sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage; here comes the scary baby in the baby carriage!" He then darted off, yelling and pumping his fists, "Wahoo! Burn number one for the soccer champion!"

In a few minutes, however, the gogglehead was back. And apparently he forgot there was a tree here. "Heeello! Toucanmon?" In his haste, Takuya had nailed the tree I was perched in, shaking it and knocking me out of it. I flailed my arms in effort to retain my balance, but instead fell right on top of the goggle-headed wonder himself. Oh the joy.

He rubbed his head, smiling at me cheesily. "Woops, sorry Kaz. I, uh…yeah." He gazed up at the tree I had fallen out of. "Huh, who put that there?" _Um, hello. Ever heard of a…ya know, seed?_

I got up while he sat up cross-legged. "You really think you're funny, don't you?" I questioned roughly, shoving my hands into my pockets. I didn't wait for an answer to emerge from the gogglehead's lips, continuing with a voice of ice, "Well, I don't. So just _damare konoyarou_ before I have to do it physically."

He got to his feet and followed me back to the ever-dreaded beach house. "It's no use! We'll never find them with that attitude!" he complained, referring to my sour mood I was in currently because of our last incident.

"JP, how's your…uh, you know?" Tommy questioned, referring to JP's own incident. I still found it slightly amusing, but I didn't express this feeling openly. They'd all probably suspect the real me was abducted by aliens if they saw me smiling for almost no apparent reason.

"I don't want to talk about it…" JP moaned, though sitting on the exact place he was pinched. The physical pain must not have been as bad as the emotional. Especially if I had actually laughed at him.

"Let's just take a break for a while," Takuya advised, collapsing down on a bench next to Tommy. I would have thought that with all of the sleep he got right on the sand, he would have been wide awake. But no, still hung over.

I crossed my arms, looking down at the lazy gogglehead. "All you ever do is look for ways _not_ to work, isn't it?" I asked rhetorically. I didn't get an answer, as he was almost half asleep already, but my question was answered nonetheless.

But suddenly, he jerked himself upward. "Whaa~! Calmaramon, where?!" he exclaimed in instant panic, in accordance to what JP and Zoe were talking about a mere two yards away from us. Something about if Zoe would be ugly like the rotating squid when she got her own Beast Spirit. Answer: she was already that ugly.

I found myself looking upward slightly, imagining Kazemon laughing her frickin' head off. But that image soon changed into her growing fangs and growling with a really Calmaramon-sounding voice.

Zoe disrupted my thoughts, screaming and flailing her arms about. "Stop that! I can't believe you guys would think something like that!" She crossed her arms defiantly, as if that could change what I saw. "I'm nothing like her."

I turned to Koji, Takuya, Bokomon, and Tommy, who were standing right next to me. "Wait, you all saw…ya know…evil Kazemon with vampire teeth and…rawr?" My question got an answer of simultaneous nods. "Okay, then…"

"Of course!" Neemon said innocently, clasping his hands—er, paws together and smiling.

"Hey! Say it like you mean it!" Zoe snapped, grabbing the poor, yellow bunny's waistband and stretching it about a yard outward. And then… *SNAP!*

Takuya held out his hands like 'why are you getting mad at him for?' and then stated, "He's not saying you're evil or anything!"

"Out loud," I mumbled, getting a glare from Lavenderé in the process.

"Just that Beast Spirits are hard to control," the gogglehead continued, as if I had never interrupted. I could tell by his facial expression and how he was keeping his gaze off of me that he had heard me, yes, but found it more fulfilling to ignore me.

"Yes, remember what happened with Takuya?" Bokomon asked, obviously finding some good reason that I wasn't too sure of to use our favorite little hothead as the prime example here. I wasn't there for the "festivities", so I was kinda left out on this one. Though I knew enough from Koji's Beast Spirit just how unpredictably overpowering they could be. I couldn't help but wonder how long it was going to take for me to control mine.

With a flick of a finger, Zoe had managed somehow to knock Neemon of his feet. "I'll always be a cool and beautiful Digimon. That I know." She walked over, her eyes closed and on hand on her hip.

"But…how?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah, how? Have you been cool or beautiful before?" I asked tauntingly, smiling rather deviously at the one person I currently wanted to beat into the ground. Yeah, neither cool or beautiful; just flat.

Zoe balled her fists and attempted to strike a pose (quite frankly, I think even Takuya could have done better), smiling like the _subeta _she truly was. "'Cause I'm a girl! And girls know how to handle power when they need to!" _I don't think you classify. For you, I would have to say…it._

JP and Tommy grew very wide-eyed, their eyes becoming like dinner plates and they clung to each other, screaming. Yeah, if I would have been better with close contact, I knew I would have done the exact same thing.

"KNOCK IT OFF! HAVING POWER TO SUMMON ISN'T SCARY!" If the evil Kazemon had De-Spirit Evolved back into normal human form (or as close to normal as Zoe gets), this would have been it. Pointy teeth, evil little glare-y eyes. Yeah. Evil.

"Geez. You sure?" Takuya questioned, not even daring to get closer than he already was on that bench. No one dared move.

"Yeah, really. I don't see things this scary in my deepest, darkest nightmares," I agreed, also keeping my distance. I wasn't scared. I was just wary, just in case her insanity was somehow, in a Zoe-like manner, was contagious. Because if I caught it, I would die.

Suddenly, Takuya jumped to his feet. "Hey! It's the Toucanmon!" he yelled, running down the beach, Tommy next to follow behind, wondering out loud where there were going. I didn't really assume that even the birdbrains themselves knew the answer to that.

"Where they going?!" Tommy questioned, watching the stupid birds flapping their wings so rapidly that you could just plainly see they didn't fly all that much. You could easily use their wings as beaters. "Look they're landing over there!" Tommy pretty much just answered his own question, pointing at the closest island.

"Right!" Takuya took off after them, darting toward the water, Zoe right at his heels. "Don't let them get away! We can swim over!" _Okay, they lost it. There's no way they could swim over. There's probably riptides or something… Okay, Zoe, start swimming!_

"I'll race you there!" Zoe said almost in a mocking tone. As if she could beat him over there, that was a load of _kuso_. She'd probably be like 'oh my God, the water's wet! It's going to ruin my outfit! Eeek!' That would be downright typical. The moment her feet would touch the water, she'd go running back, screaming her frickin' head off.

Takuya looked back at those still standing at the shore, just watching them attempt to run in water. He called back, "Tommy, you guys, wait here!" But suddenly, he lost his footing and fell with a splash (not without making bug eyes during this process). I almost laughed. But that was the key word: almost.

Zoe stopped and turned around. "Takuya?" She looked around for the gogglehead, of whom was now completely submerged in water and nowhere to be seen. By the look on her face, I couldn't tell if she was worried about him or just wanted to laugh at him. Personally, I would've gone for the second of the two.

He came up spitting out a mouthful of water, but before he could say nothing more than 'huh?', he turned and looked down, as if there was something there to actually look at and say 'huh?' about. Maybe he was delusional. Or maybe it was just my distance away. Either way, it probably was some of both.

Out of the water, a little blue and white guy with a bold orange Mohawk popped. He bobbed there with only his head exposed and I could hear him laughing quietly to himself. The only thing Takuya could say in response to the little dude's appearance was, "What the heck is that?" He stared at it with a 'please don't eat me' kind of expression.

"_That_ is Gomamon!" the little dude answered happily as a way to introduce himself right off the bat. _Ain't he just a friendly little moron? My guess is Zoe's gonna coo over it like the little girly girl she is… Man, I'm sooo tempted to whack her upside the head. _

"Well, whoever you are, let go of my foot, okay?!" the gogglehead glared at the little Digimon, who was innocently smiling back. It was like they were having a staring contest or something, and for all I could tell, they might as well could have been. My money was on the little Mohawk dude. He looked like he had eyelids of steel.

"Oh, well, sorry! We had to stop you guys!" it replied as just about a million more Gomamon popped out of pretty much nowhere and started saying 'hi' all at once. Who knew where they all came from (and don't say 'from their mommies!' because that doesn't count!).

"Yeah, hi…what are these things anyway?!"

"Digimon, you imbecile," I mumbled, crossing my arms. I didn't expect him to hear me, or really anyone to for that matter. I just felt the need to add something rather sarcastic, as usual. It was better than everyone just kinda saying things flat-out how they were.

It was Bokomon once again who decided to fill in for the wanted information. But hey, he was a little info box. Put a quarter in and ask your question. Maybe if you're lucky, it'll be answered. "Gomamon are cute and curious, but if you get them mad, they won't hesitate to attack…but then again, what doesn't around here?" _At least that last bit is true…_

Zoe smiled in this really creepy manner (wait, since when _wasn't_ she creepy?) and placed her hands on her face for whatever reason. I could just imagine a green background with weird little scribbles and hearts floating behind her at this moment. And her voice just added to the overall mentally-scarring-ness to it, "HOW CUTE?!?!" She lifted one of them up and started squeezing it to death.

"Uh…not very?" I asked in response to her rhetorical question. I felt like collapsing over right then and there (like they do in all those anime. Not that it happens here, though, since this is reality) with maybe the addition of the giant sweatdrop that seems to form on the side of everyone's heads. So because of the inability to do anime-stuff (for good reason), I just sufficed with a facepalm. "Why must I be tortured like this?"

"Yeah, girls are tough…" I heard JP mumble in response to Zoe's latest action. _Like I said before, she's _not_ a girl! A real girl could steal all your chocolate and then kick your _oshiri_ to the farthest of the three moons. And I'll happily volunteer to do that. _

The Gomamon led Takuya and Zoe out of the water back on the beach while the lead one said, "We wouldn't be very good friends if we let you go out there! The water looks so cuddly—" _Does it now?_ "—and inviting, but really it's very dangerous!"

"Um…what do you mean by dangerous exactly?" Takuya questioned, pretty much asking the same question that was floating in everyone's minds. Except for Zoe, she was too busy babying that same poor Gomamon. I think it was being suffocated.

"Just look!" The seal-like Digimon didn't even turn and look. "All that foam by the island is caused by a whole bunch of whirlpools!" And now is when they all turned in simultaneous motion to look at the island with us.

"Whirlpools?!" Takuya's voice didn't come out probably as strong as he wanted it to. His voice came out nervous, like he was about to wet himself or something. Well, it was Tommy speaking instead of him, that would have already happened.

"Don't worry, we're safe here! But if you get too close, they'll suck you in and never spit you out!" It looked at us, and it seemed as though it _wanted _us to never leave. "And even if you could get past them, you'd get slammed up against the cliffs that surround the only beach you can land on!"

"Isn't that just peachy?" I scoffed, my hands shoved into my pockets. I gazed over at the island with furrowed eyebrows. There had to be some way over there, despite how negative those little Mohawk-wearing dudes were. If there's a Koji, there's a way. And last time I checked, there was _definitely _a Koji here. _And if there isn't, why the hell am I still here in this _kuso _hole?!_

"We know all about it because we used to live there…" The Gomamon's heads all dropped as did the leader's tone. I didn't really see what the big problem was, this was just as a nice of beach. They'd even get a whole beach house to boot.

Takuya crossed his arms, thinking for a moment (things can only get worse when he's thinking). "So is there some kind of…secret way to get there or something?" he asked. _Yes, there's a secret portal that's activated by whacking you over the head. So let's get it on and activate it already._

"No, I wish there were." _Isn't it 'was'? 'I wish there _was_'. You guys gotta work on your grammar. _

"You can't get home?" Zoe questioned, releasing her grip on the Gomamon that I was surprised wasn't already dead from lack of oxygen. She really had to pay attention. If they can't get over there swimming, they can't fly (or at least I don't think they can…), there's no secret way, and it's where they live…yeah, I think it might actually be their home! Would jya look at that…

It was quiet for a moment, pondering and deciding what should be said. "That's right. Everything used to be so wonderful here. Then one day when we went out to play and get some food, there was a big earthquake! That's when the whirlpools started. We were cut off from our island, and we weren't able to get home since!"

Bokomon was the one that decided that it would be best to explain the reasoning. And probably the only one that had the slightest idea anyway. "I'd be willing to bet that the earthquake happened when the destruction of the Digital World began. Oh, it seems that there's no one that Cherubimon's evil touch hasn't hurt…" And oddly, he was smiling through all of this. Weird…

"So you're saying there's no way to get across?" Koji questioned, in a tone that seemed like it was rhetorical. But at least _someone_ was putting all the pieces together. Two and two is four, and to everyone else, it seemed like it was negative thirty.

"Maybe we'll be able to find some kind of flying Digimon who will take us over to the island!" JP exclaimed, finding some glimmer of hope in something that wouldn't be able to get him off the ground.

I eyed him out of the corner of my eye in slight WTF-ness. "Yeah, sure. And then it can attack us, like all the other Digimon in this stupid place. I'll make sure you're the first one it devours. That is, if it can handle all of the carbohydrates."

"Hey! Good idea!" Takuya exclaimed, balling his fists and his face lighting up. _Am I invisible or something?_

"Well, of course, that should totally work!" the Gomamon agreed with a small, excited grin. _I must be. Or maybe just mute._

"Thanks for your help, you guys! You really saved our necks!" Takuya turned and began to lead the other Warriors back to the beach house, giving a slight wave as he went.

"No problem!"

"We'd better hurry until the Toucanmon take off again," JP stated, for once actually making a minimal amount of sense and actually keeping our job in mind. That was something I never thought I'd see.

I was about to walk with them when I heard a bunch of little whimpering noises coming from the Gomamon. I turned around only slightly, seeing the little seals with their heads dropped and gazing over at the island. They seemed to have a silent, secret mourning for it. It was obvious to see they actually wanted to be there with the rest of their kind. But that was understandable; birds of a feather flock together. And even though they weren't exactly birds (I still didn't know if they could fly or not), I could bet all the DigiDollars on this entire world that the same thing applied here, even if it wasn't the real world.

I didn't know for sure why I actually felt _pity_ on them. I didn't care about them, they were annoying little creatures with orange Mohawks, they were as lonely as they were weird. But it was probably the lonely part that got me. They were separated by nature from those they belonged with, their family. I guess I saw a little bit of myself in them. Separated from the ones I belonged with because of the unavoidable. Things that happened every day. It was all part of nature's hand.

I found myself walking over to them, crouching down and asking them, "Hey, do you want to go with us? We can find a way to get you over there." I looked them in the eyes to see what they really wanted. And they did want to accept my offer.

"Oh, don't worry about us, we'll be just fine!" The lead Gomamon lifted a fin, a gesture for me to dismiss the idea. "If we swim close up to the whirlpools, we can catch a really good view of our friends on the other side!"

"You bet! We get along just fine!" Another one agreed happily.

I just wanted to slap all of them upside the head. "Are you serious?! That's the lamest thing I've ever heard! It's like Takuya saying he can't work because he doesn't have the intention span!" I saw I got a glare from the gogglehead, but from everyone else, just a bunch of deranged looks. "If you really wanted to be with your friends again, all you have to do is work for it! You're taking the easy way out here! I know you want to get back to that island as badly as you've ever wanted anything, and there's no reason for you guys to not at least _try_ to make that aspiration come true. If you're gonna sit here on your _oshiri_ all day and feel bad about yourselves, that's your own choice, but you can change that! The only one who can take away your dreams is you, by giving up on them!"

I didn't really know where that last statement came from, but it was actually under context, so I decided to blurt it out. Maybe it was the Memory Aura Seraphimon had told me about. It was a quote from some other person at some other time. But I couldn't help wondering who had said it.

Bokomon was the first one to reply to my little speech that pretty much just fell out of my mouth all in one single instant. Everyone else was still getting over the initial shock. "Although I appreciate the sentiment and your little words of wisdom, Kazuma, it may be a tad dangerous," he stated.

I found reasoning floating in my mind, things I didn't know dwelled within me. I stood up and faced the radish head. "Well, so is everything else we've been doing. We've been risking our lives ever since we got here and this can't be much different. We're alive so far, aren't we?"

"But remember we had our D-Tectors then, Kaz," JP remarked, finding loopholes in everything that came out of my lips. "Those were the only things keeping us from being a rabid Digimon's dinner!"

I would've given just about anything to punch him right at that moment. "Don't you think we have more skill than we give ourselves credit for?! I think our D-Tectors are a paradox. Even though they give us the ability to become Digimon, they also bring out the strength in us, power and wisdom we didn't know we held. Spirit Evolution is a two-way street. And even if I'm wrong, it's about time the realization came that we aren't just useless humans sent to merely be hosts to Spirits that are no longer living." Words were pouring out of my mouth, an uncontrollable notion that I couldn't stop, no matter how hard I tried. Responses to everything asked appeared in mind, things I never really thought of before.

Zoe surprised me by speaking. "Kazuma's right. We're stronger than we think. Sure it's tough, but we can do anything we put our minds to." She walked over and stood next to me, casting me a grateful smile. She then crouched down before the Gomamon. "Come on, guys. Let's get you back to your friends, okay?"

"With that speech, I don't think we could say no even if we wanted to. Your friend will probably kill us," the leader replied quietly, glancing momentarily. I nodded in an unvoiced response.

"I hope it works…" Zoe looked down, closing her eyes. I could see she lacked the hope to actually achieve the common goal.

"If it doesn't," I answered emotionlessly, "We'll make it work."

Koji and Takuya walked over to us, Koji standing next to me, and Takuya next to Zoe. Takuya was smiling cheesily as he said, "They're right. We can help each other out. We'll make it together!" _Good, he's giving credit where due._

"Even though we don't have our D-Tectors, there's plenty we can do if we work as a team," Koji admitted softly. His eyes were closed and his hands were shoved in his pocket. He was trying not to really care how schmaltzy his words really were.

I gave him a light punch in the arm. "Right. D-Tectors or no D-Tectors, we're not completely useless. And if it turns out I'm wrong, well…we'll have a problem." I felt a small, almost unnoticeable smile break onto my face. I tried to force it away, but I felt too much hope to put much of a fight against it. I didn't know what suddenly changed, but I could easily see the results. Stupid conscience, helping people. Sometimes I wished I could rip it outta me and stomp on it repeatedly.

"I can't swim well and I'm afraid of water, but count me in!" Tommy exclaimed. _What exactly does that leave? We're destination is _across_ the water. So…maybe you can supervise from the shore…but wait, how'd you get to the island, then?..._

"Hey, finding flying Digimon is too much work anyway," JP stated, suddenly changing his mind on his "genius" idea. Maybe—and most likely—it was because he would completely outnumbered. The chances of my speech actually affecting him was pretty slim.

"It's decided, then!" Bokomon concluded, stepping forward. He let out an annoyed sigh. "…Finally…"

"Guys…" Zoe looked around at everyone standing there.

"Please don't start crying, 'cause you know that Tommy will start crying," Takuya said, probably as an excuse to avoid saying that he'll cry if she does. _Yeah, pin everything on the short, defenseless kid…nice one._

"Yeah, and I will if he doesn't," JP admitted.

"And I really don't feel like witnessing that," I added, averting my gaze to the sand just below me. It was too good of a moment to make eye contact. I'll start smiling and that'd block me in with the rest of those losers.

Takuya gave me a light jab in the ribs. "Why? Will you start crying too, Kaz? I know you have an emotional side!" he taunted, causing me to glance at him out of the very corner of my eye. "Under that fancy hat of yours, there's someone that likes to hug people!"

"Feh! Yeah, right." I looked up to lock eyes, smirking mischievously. "And you're the first one on my list." There was a slight pause before he cast me look that was a reflection of the one on my face.

He held up a fist and I returned the gesture, hitting his knuckles with mine. A somewhat satisfied look plastered in the lines of his face, he then shouted out like he was trying to wake up the dead, "Now, let's get to work, guys!"

* * *

"Two more logs ready to go!" Takuya called, dragging them over to our pile and dropping them onto the sand. He seemed quite pleased with our current progress. He was hoping, he outwardly admitted, that our fancy little raft will be completed before nightfall, maybe in a couple hours even.

I walked over to Koji, who was chopping down a palm tree with a sharp, steel machete. The metal gleamed in the sun's light, making it almost seem like the Warrior of Light was using his Lobo Kendo. Nonetheless, he looked pretty spiffy when he was at work…Though, it wasn't like _I _wasn't working, I was currently supervising, taking a couple minute break from dragging logs (and setting them up in just the right way that Takuya would trip over them). And my break wasn't without permission, either. The Gomamon had insisted with their little smiles and bright green eyes sparkling; it was hard to resist. Zoe had said they'd taken a liking to me, even though I yelled and was substantially arrogant, but through that, made them realize how much they wanted to go back to their home.

"Hey, Koji. Tired?" I questioned as he paused to look at me, sweat covering his face. Without a response, I tossed him a bottle of water I had gotten from the beach house. He caught it with one hand as I said, "Think of it. We're making a raft to chase after a bunch of chunky birds that stole our D-Tectors. How dumb does that make us sound?"

He took a small sip of the water and then replied, "I try not to think of that." He pulled off his bandana and wiped his face with it. "By the way, that was a good thing you did back there. I didn't think you had that in ya, to say all that."

He threw the water bottle back to me as I replied rather flatly, "Truthfully, I didn't either." I didn't really find it hard to admit that the words had done nothing more than just slip out of my lips. "I didn't even think I had a single motivational word within me. Guess I just proved myself—and everyone else for that matter—wrong about that." Without a second thought, I unscrewed the cap and took a large gulp of the water. "Oh sorry. I just kinda drank a bit of your water…" I felt my face heat up in realization that I had just put my lips where Koji had just had his.

"Whatever. You can keep it." Koji put his bandana back on and picked up the machete, continuing chopping at the palm tree again. I couldn't keep myself from staring at little bit at him, biting my lip and grasping the water bottle in my hand. I didn't want to say he was sexy when he was sweaty, but honestly, that's exactly what he was. It proved he wasn't a wuss like most other guys I knew. He worked with such determination, such vigor. Just about anybody would desire his skills.

He let out a grunt as he struck it one final time and wiped his forehead with his sleeve. The palm tree began to topple over and he called out, "Heave away!"

I found myself laughing. "Heave away, Koji? That's original." I unscrewed the cap and took another drink. "Guess I'd better get that…" I sighed, walking over to retrieve the log and put in on the growing pile. But I was beaten to the punch, seeing Tommy and Bokomon already lifting it up and dragging it away. "Alright, then…"

I walked down the beach and noticed JP crouched down, looking down at the sand right below him. He had a stick in his hand and was concentrating hard—or at least as hard as JP could manage—about something.

"JP, what are you doing?" Takuya questioned, stopping with a log resting on his shoulder. _Why is everyone beating me to the punch? _

"Exactly my question," I retorted, walking over to see.

"To make a good boat, you gotta have a plan," he replied simply as the gogglehead dropped the log and walked over as well. We were both wondering what he came up with as we looked over the chocolate-loving nutcase's shoulder at his diagram of a very intricate boat from a bunch of different angles.

"That's great, JP, that should only take a few _years_ to build," Takuya snorted, although his face held a look that was actually slightly amazed at JP's little sketch. He had probably made model ships or something as a hobby, that's why he liked it.

"Yeah, the world will be completely destroyed before we're done with _that_. Heck, the world will be destroyed and rebuilt before we're done," I agreed monotonously, finding no real use in all the time he wasted. He hadn't worked this entire time. Think of how much farther we'd be with his assistance…no farther than we are now.

"It's just like building a model ship, only bigger," JP said, making me realize it was _him_ that made the models, not Takuya, who was presently scratching his hat-covered head in slightly durr-ness. JP stood up and held his head up high in his pride.

Takuya turned to Mr. Jumpsuit with a weird smile-thing on his face, his eyes narrowed. "Yeah. Right."

In about a half an hour, I saw the logs were no longer just a pile. Everyone had begun tying all of them together and securing the main—and only—mast to the center of the half-constructed raft, it's sail flapping wildly in the wind. And I could see that Neemon was just standing there watching—or maybe "supervising" as he may decide to claim—and standing in everyone's way. He got whacked over the head a couple times by logs and other tools and miscellaneous, but never really was taken back by any of the blows.

"That was hard!" he exclaimed, flexing his toothpick-thin biceps, as if he was under any standard considered the least bit strong.

"You didn't do anything," JP stated, staring at the yellow rabbit.

"Oh yeah!"

My eyes narrowed as I stared at the chocolate boy. "Neither did you," I shot back rather annoyed. The effort he could have given was a lot more than the amount he had actually given. Everyone worked their tails off, but he just sat their making his little doodles, which eventually were completely destroyed by Neemon stepping across them, which totally pissed JP off. That was amusing to watch, JP attempting to chase after the moronic yellow rabbit and tripping over every single log (the ones of which I set up for _Takuya _to trip over. Double whammy).

Speaking of the gogglehead, when we had completely finished the raft's construction, pointed his arm outward (think of Superman) and exclaimed, "Here we go!"

We pushed off and began our journey across the water to the island. Things seemed normal (aside from the fact that there was a barrel on the raft, of which Tommy was pretty much cowering in), aside from the fact that we made the mistake of getting only one paddle. And it was Koji who took the liberty to use it, although the wind really didn't make it totally necessary. But that was Koji, always the one to take everything to the next level so it all worked out alright.

I found myself sitting toward the front of the ship, watching the waves rock back and forth. It was pretty peaceful, aside from the fact that Takuya was standing just about two feet from me. That was the only thing that got me. And so I decided to express this by asking, "Hey, you know that little thing you did when we pushed off? Your little Superman pose and the 'here we go'?"

The gogglehead eyed me with slight suspicion, probably wondering where I was going with this question of mine. Well, he'd soon know. "Yeah, why?"

"Don't do that ever again," I growled, my eyes narrowed. Because chances were, he was going to do—

"Here we go!" He pumped his arm outward in the same fashion, but he was a bit more enthusiastic on the words, most likely just to annoy me. That was one of the very many irritating characteristics that made him Takuya Kanbara.

I groaned and pushed him off the raft. He kinda doubled over and almost hit his head on it, but narrowly missed it and still splashed into the water. In mere moments, he came up, grasping the side of the raft and glaring at me. He spit the water out of his mouth in my face, making me give him the same glare he was giving me. But in his eyes, I could see he actually sorta enjoyed it, probably knowing he could piss me off enough to go to such measures. _Well, he should feel lucky that it was water, not a cliff._

He pulled himself back up, soaked to the core. Well, it wasn't like he didn't get his clothes wet any other time today. Besides, he needed a bath after working, so I didn't have to smell him. "I'm so getting you back for that," he glowered, crossing his arms, water dripping of every limb.

I paid no mind to his threat, hearing Zoe start complaining, "You guys were getting along so well! Don't go back to the same old story!" If she thought that was getting along, I'd hate to see her warfare.

"Feh, right. Maybe peace'll last longer if Takuya wouldn't always say something totally retarded," I grumbled, making Lavenderé give another one of her signature 'why the hell did you do that?' glares. "Hey, don't make me shove you off the raft too." I cast her back the same look of razors she was giving me.

"Hey, can you guys not fight and not rock the boat so much?" Tommy asked, either scared or getting seasick or the combination of the both. It was like that ship on the floating island all over again. That could have ended much better.

And then, Takuya started singing a song that I could have lived without hearing anywhere but that M&M's commercial that used to play, "So I'd like to know where you got the notion. Said I'd like to know where you got the notion. To rock the boat, don't rock the boat, baby! Rock the boat, don't tip the boat over! Rock the boat, don't rock the boat, baby! Rock the boat! Ever since our voyage of—"

I cut him off by knocking him off the raft again. I crossed my arms in annoyance, scoffing, "This is just gonna keep on happening, Kanbara. So maybe you should to yourself a favor and shut up." I eyed the Warrior that was now bobbing in the water, locking fiery eyes with me. Yeah, it was obvious to see we were pissed at each other.

He once again climbed back on. To say we were out to get each other now was an understatement. We were going to try to kill each other. And anyone that got in between us was going to be ripped to shreds. But we both knew that now was neither the place nor time, so we were forced to put our differences aside for the time being. First get out D-Tectors and then tear each other apart when we had the liability to Spirit Evolve and do some real damage. Sure he had his Beast Spirit as well, but I felt confident.

Soon the whirlpools that the Gomamon had spoken of came into view. They were dangerously close, enough to be sucked in. "So much for fun!" Zoe exclaimed in regard to something I missed that she apparently had said earlier. Oh well, I was too busy getting pissed off at Takuya anyway.

"The Gomamon sure weren't kidding, huh?" Koji questioned. His eyes were locked on the swirling currents of water that seemed a little too close for maximum comfort. Or any comfort at all for that matter.

"True words were never said, Koji," I answered.

"They said it was bad, not horrible!" JP complained in a quite panicky tone. I felt like pushing him off the raft, too, and because of our distance from the whirlpools, he would have been sucked in and never would be seen ever again…Actually, I digress. He wouldn't have been sucked in; he just would have dropped to the bottom like a rock.

"There must be something at the bottom of the sea that is causing all of this," Bokomon concluded, using common sense every step of the frickin' way. Eventually common sense will be overrated, especially for this place.

"I'm guessing a big drain is out of the question?" I inquired. I got a slightly agitated look from the radish-head, but ignored it. For him, any illogical comments were something unacceptable. I didn't really see the point, since they were something that was going to pop up everywhere, one way or another.

"Well, maybe we can find it and fix it!" Takuya suggested in a rather determined voice, balling his fists like he was a boxer that's gonna go and pop someone in the nose. And with our current disagreements, I'm guessing that person would have been me.

I crossed my arms, pointing my index finger off to the east. "Uh, guys? Does this count as something that should be fixed?" I gestured to the giant tidal wave towering over us. I didn't know why—or how—my voice sounded so calm when I was pretty much flipping out in the inside. But even in this situation, I wouldn't have admitted it.

The giant wall of water toppled over us and I braced myself for the worst, hitting the deck and gripping onto the ropes of which held the logs together with one hand and my hat with the other. If I lost that, my whole trust system I built up would be completely demolished.

I felt the salty sea water burn my eyes like fire and I gulped in just about a gallon of that same H2O. I could hear my heartbeat thudding in my ears, a deafening booming again and again. I wanted it to stop, I felt a large wave of panic engulf me. I was truly terrorized. I wanted to let go of that rope just so I could hold myself and scream. And I would have screamed—I tried to scream—but water filled my lungs as soon as I opened my mouth just a crack. The sting in my chest made me just want to run from everything here. There was so much pain, so much fear. I never knew how scared I was because of what Yukio did to me so long ago until this single petrifying moment.

The few short seconds the raft was submerged under that wave felt so long, so agonizing. I thought that moment would never cease, beat on me until I gave way and conceded to the tide. But when sunlight began to beat on my back, I found myself shedding salty tears, my eyes feeling like they had millions of shards of glass in them. I was coughing up water and my throat felt just as bad as my eyes because of this. I didn't feel apt to moving, the seawater giving me slight nausea.

"You okay, Kaz?" Much to my surprise, Takuya was looking down at me with actually a rather concerned expression and offered his hand to me.

But I found myself turning my head in rejection and not bothering to answer. It was just like back at Flame Terminal. Takuya trying to offer up kindness and me just rejecting it without a word. For once Zoe was absolutely correct, we were back to the same old story. And it wasn't exactly a bad story. For me, that is. If it bugged Takuya that I didn't prefer taking to him as much as Koji, well that was just too frickin' bad.

Everyone's attention was averted to tall pillars of water that still remained after the tidal wave. Wait, no. Our attention turned to what was _on_ the pillars. One little blue Southerner that I wish I could whack over the head with a frying pan. Or at least hire someone to do it if I was found unable. For what reason, I wouldn't know. Maybe you need some sort of permit to be able to do that.

"Hi there, kiddy pies!" she exclaimed, on hand on her hips another waving at us daintily. She was smiling wide, obviously excited to be able to destroy us on this particular day. _Just when this day couldn't have gotten _any_ better. So much better that I think I just may want to hang myself…_

"Great! Now what do we do?!" Takuya questioned in a very alarmed tone as he stared up at the little blue blob.

"I don't know, but drowning myself seems pretty good right about now!" I answered, wavering as I made my way to my feet. "Either that, or find some convenience store that sells earplugs. But it seems a little hard to do that right about now."

"Well, if ya'll have any last wishes, now would be the _perfect _time to make them, don'tchya think?" the Southern Digimon replied gleefully. If I had my Spirit, I would have Evolved just to fly up there and make her shut the _fakku_ up. The ability to do that would have been my last wish.

"Don't do it, Zoe! Don't you remember? You were no match for her last time!" JP pleaded, catching my attention. I noticed Zoe was glaring up at Ranamon, as if she actually had a chance to defeat the Warrior of Water.

"For Pete's sake, am I the only one here with even a pinch of optimism?!" Zoe snapped back, glaring at each one of us.

I crossed my arms, even though that movement almost made me lose my balance. "Well, it's kinda hard right now, if you hadn't noticed. See, Koji's been paddling all this time, Tommy's been hiding in a barrel, Takuya's been pushed in the water—twice—, JP's begging you not to go, and I've been waterlogged. We're not exactly the smoothest group anyone's ever seen…" I trailed off, watching Ranamon (who was watching _us_) out of the corner of my eye.

"Stop making excuses! Just find a way to stop the whirlpools while I hold her off!" I could hear her actually stifle a small growl at me, since apparently she considered my response to her question as an excuse. It's not an excuse if it's the truth and used in the correct context. In my case, I was actually defending people, despite the differences I had with them (aside from Koji, that is!)

As she Spirit Evolved into her poor excuse (now _that_ was a bad excuse!) for a Legendary Warrior, I could feel a strange silence cloud over the raft. Everyone was ticked off at everyone else. And aside from that, how did Zoe expect us to _stop whirlpools. _I thought she had gone completely mental. Or at least was out in the sun too long.

I found myself watching at the battle every so often, officially unimpressed by Kazemon's so-called "skill". She was coming up with all these utterly pathetic phrases that maybe in _her _mind sounded cool, but in reality, no. And then there was her fighting style. Right off the bat, she was wasting her energy by kicking at the pillars of water. Even her opponent found her boring, relaxing and taking her sweet time.

Ranamon said some things I couldn't make out and then used her Draining Rain attack, which showered upon Kazemon and sent her plummeting into a whirlpool. The Southerner, in response, laughed her creepy, loud laugh and officially gave me a headache. Ugh, I hated her so much I wanted to rip off my arm just for something to throw at her.

The mood of our pathetic little raft was now set to overall depressed. I knew that I wasn't quite lucky enough for Zoe to fall into her impending doom, and either way, I wasn't—and wouldn't have been—at all worried. It was pretty much all but me and Koji that weren't fazed. Well, even if Koji had worry about the Warrior of Wind within him, he didn't outwardly express it. I never really saw him show much concern for others anyway, so I dismissed any and all thoughts right away.

JP and Takuya began their panicked shouting for Zoe. I could tell by the how close JP got to the edge of the raft and Koji's notion to stop him that he wanted to jump in after her. But if I was Koji then, I would have let him jump. And sink like a rock.

"What a bother!" the annoying Warrior of Water complained, lying on a tall pillar of water, not even facing us. "And here I thought I would get a chance to test out my Beast Spirit! It's really not fair!"

"_Jigoku e ike_, _subeta_!" Both Takuya's words and tone surprised me. I had never, despite how long I've known the Warrior of Flame, heard him swear. Sure, I did all the time, but he never really paid mind, maybe secretly annoyed with it. But now, I could tell he was really, _really_ pissed off.

"Holy _kuso_, Takuya…" I mumbled in slight awe. But also at the same time, there was a hint of fear.

"Sorry, but I've already got travel plans…" Ranamon stood up and yawned, stretching her arms, and just brushing off Takuya's words as if he just said something to the effect of 'you're toast, lady'. But then she suddenly spun around toward us, looking as though the metaphorical light bulb just went on. "Hey, maybe I can test my Beast Spirit on ya'll!"

I crossed my arms, slightly befuddled. "And you didn't think of destroying us beforehand?" I questioned, more or less to myself. Sometimes I wondered if those around me, even my enemies, thought at all.

"Guys look! The whirlpools are going away!" Tommy suddenly exclaimed, for whatever reason, he was distracted by something other than the evil Legendary Warrior that was presently threatening to kill us. _He should get his priorities straight…_

"It's what?!" Ranamon looked both caught off guard and a bit irritated at the same time. This apparently wasn't going according to plan. "Now how in the world did that happen?!" She held her hand to her forehead and looked over at the dispersing whirlpools.

Then, a giant tower of water emerged from the calm waves. It overshadowed Ranamon's own pillar by scores of height. And when the water dispersed into a shower of particles, sparkling like little shards of glass. But where the tower had once stopped, Lavenderé herself was floating there.

I couldn't help but cock my head to the side and stare a little bit. "Okay, is anyone else wondering how she's just…floating there?" I asked rhetorically.

"Yes! I'm back—" _That's obvious. Sad. But obvious. _"—And I brought…a little friend!" She spread her arms out wide and then held out her D-Tector. She then was incased with Fractal Code that was emitting static. In her place, in a few short moments, was a harpy-like Digimon with lavender armor and feathered, brown wings. Her mouth was covered with a metal plate and her hair was covered with a blue hair (or were they feathers?) and blue wings which I immediately rendered as useless (I mean, think about it. How much good could those little things do?).

"Who is that?!" Takuya balled his fists and smiled widely. He was probably glad that he just might not be destroyed today.

"That is Zephyrmon," Bokomon stated as-a-matter-of-factly. "Behold the Legendary Warrior of Wind!" I could just see him waving his arms around in the air and shouting at the top of his voice, 'Bow before Windy! Bow before Windy! All hail the birdie!'

Ranamon stared at the newcomer in a bit of depression and another bit of jealousy. "But—but…WHY?! You're pretty! Your Beast Spirit made you pretty!" she whined in a very squeaky voice. Her voice actually sounded just like Zoe's, aside from the annoying Southern accent. Otherwise you'd have a match.

The Warrior of Water got about a yard from Zephyrmon and scanned her up and down, her hand to her chin as if she was attempting to actually decide something. But suddenly she turned away in rejection, crossing her arms. "Well! It's not like you're prettier than me! I mean, that's not even possible!" She started waving her arms around, pointing at Zephyrmon. "But just because you _are_ prettier than me, doesn't mean anything, got it?!" She then went back to her original stature of crossed arms. "Do you got adoring fans all over the world who worship you? I don't think so!"

Then, the Warrior of Wind's voice came out rather calm, though it seemed like she was staring off into space. "You know something, for the Legendary Warrior of Water, you sure give off a lot of hot air," she stated calmly.

That remark made Ranamon hot under the collar; I could see her just burning up inside, glaring at Zephyrmon without a single comeback. "That does it!" she snarled. "You're goin' down, Sugar. Now, how should I defeat you…? Ah!" suddenly she started to do this little…jig-thing. She had her arms arranged one pointing upward another outward, and her head was kinda…swaying back and forth, so to say. "Dark Vapor!"

She released a black cloud from her palms that engulfed Zephyrmon. But instead of the molting Ranamon said would happen, the Warrior of Wind just stood there and spoke rather quietly, "I think it's time you learned a little respect…" She held up her talons, where were then encased in an orb of oranges and reds. "Plasma Paws!" She lunged at Ranamon, but the Warrior of Water's attempt to dodge made her pillar to diffuse, making her fall into the sea.

"How is she…?" I trailed off, thinking of possible reasons she could actually be controlling her Beast Spirit. I figured it was just because of the dire moment, not because she was a girl. Though I already knew that was going to be her response after all of this is through, that it was "girl power" or whatever. Pfft, right. I've seen more power come from a blender than from Zoe.

"She's amazing, isn't she, JP?!" Tommy questioned, turning to the chocolate-loving maniac. "…JP?"

JP's eyes were huge and…scary. He was staring up at Zephyrmon like she was something to eat (and to him, she probably was. Who wants chicken?), his hands clenched into fists. He was laughing really creepily. "Hahaha! Boy, howdy!"

"You _really _don't know how disturbing that really is…" I mumbled with an agitated sigh. I didn't want to have to deal with this day in and day out, it was really gonna get old. Really old, really fast.

Soon Ranamon's head popped out of the water, spurting out seawater. She was really pissed off. "Brat. That's it! No more pussy-footin' around! Ranamon Slide Evolution!" She was encased in a cocoon of data and then, in her place, came that giant creature that I couldn't really tell if it was a squid or merry-go-round. But if it was the second, it would mentally scar every little kid that wanted to ride on it. The poor kids.

Whatever it was dove from out of the waves. "Calmaramon!" She—er, it—er, she laughed evilly. "Now let the party begin!" She neared Zephyrmon. "You won't be so pretty when I'm through with you, Sweetie pie! Wahaha! Acid Ink!" She threw her head back and seemed to regurgitate and release a black sludge. _If that was puke, I'd hate to see what she had for lunch…_

She repeatedly shot at the Warrior of Wind, of whom dodged each attempt. One of the missed attacks hit a boulder, melting away a large chunk of it. "That's what'll happen to your friends!" she sneered, turning to us.

"Hey, don't look at me," I said with actually a bit of defiance. "I'm not Zoe's friend. I just happen to be here for the ride."

"Ready boys?" She launched the attack, nonetheless, ignoring my statement. The ink went sailing towards our pathetic excuse for a boat, but Zephyrmon swooped in and sliced the attack with her talon. But this only encouraged Calmaramon to attack all the more, sending out acid breath after breath she took, Zephyrmon deflecting them one after another.

Then, the ugly squid took her within a large tentacle, squeezing her tightly. "I'm just too good!" she boasted, continuing with yet another laugh. _What is with evil people and their evil laughs? Can't they find a new hobby? _

"That witch!" Takuya exclaimed, glaring at Calmaramon. I could tell he had eased up some, since he didn't swear this time. But still, he looked a bit aggravated with the squid's presence. But here's the main question: Who _wasn't_?

"It's awful! We can't do anything!" Tommy cried, hitting me with realization. _I was totally useless. Here the one person that could truly help was being suffocated to death by my normal dinner. _

"Stop it! Let her go you evil scum queen!" Koji's words actually made me laugh, just the way he put them all together. _Evil scum queen, that's awesome…why didn't I think of that?_

"Yeah, you ugly fish head!" JP shouted, another statement that made me at least smile a bit. Everyone was coming up with a _bunch_ of new words today. Or at least a new name to call someone you just don't like.

Calmaramon turned around slowly, glaring daggers at everyone on the raft. "WHAAAT?! What did you say?!" she snapped, looking like she was just about to come down here and strangle Koji and JP.

JP made this little girly squeal noise and clung to the barrel that Tommy at one point was in. But Koji stepped up and shouted back, "You heard him!" He then turned to us and said, "If we call her names and distract her, maybe Zephyrmon can escape."

"Okay…" Takuya turned to me and smiled. "This is right up your alley, Kaz." He then turned to Calmaramon and yelled, "Hey, you slimy dateless wonder!" _That's the best you can come up with?_

I thought a moment, trying to think of something. But then, I came up with something I didn't have to shout, just outwardly say, "Hey, I can't figure out what part is her head and which part is her _oshiri_. They both looked the same to me."

Then, Calmaramon veered around and screamed, "Can it! You are so dead!"

In her moment of weakness, she loosened her tentacle, allowing the Warrior of Wind a smooth escape. She flew up and whipped her arms around in about a semi-circle, calling out, "Hurricane Gale!" She released a gust of wind with razors of static mixed within the vortex, which swallowed up the evil squid, which made her topple over. "That's for picking on my friends."

"And go tell _your _friends there'll be more of that if they mess with _us_!" Takuya demanded, as if he was the soul reason behind defeated the Warrior of Water. _Actually, I have to say that position goes to Koji, because Zephyrmon would be dead right now…we'd be dead right now…yeah, it'd really suck._

Calmaramon turned around and faced us. "Now you're gonna get it!" I didn't know what strange, green substance was covering her face, weird make-up, algae, or snot.

But I didn't want any. And apparently, neither did Takuya, JP, or Tommy, because their eyes grew the size of Frisbees as the gogglehead pointed to the monstrosity._ Yeah, that's right, scream and point. That's exactly what you do at a time like this._

"That's the scariest thing yet!" Tommy yelled, almost looking like he was going to wet himself. _Does EVERYTHING have to go back to that floating toy land? He almost wet himself there too!_

Calmaramon smiled evilly (but then again, can she really smile any other way?). "Be quiet! You brats are in for a heapin' helpin' of pain! Titanic Tempest!" She leapt up into the air (somehow) and twisted herself around, beginning to rotate rapidly. But right before she could touch the water, she started spinning in the wrong direction, off into the distance. _Yep it was definitely her last time…_

"What was that?" JP questioned, his eyes not moving from the very spot she disappeared. He didn't even blink, either.

"Answering truthfully," I began, shoving my hands into my pockets, "I have absolutely no idea." That was actually a rather disturbing thing, Calmaramon was. I knew I would never look at sushi the same way ever again. I might actually be _eager_ to chop it into millions of little pieces with a butcher knife.

* * *

We had gotten to the island with hardly any damage done surprisingly. Although it took longer than we had originally hoped, we could only be thankful for which we got. But then again, this also gave Zoe bragging rights. And Takuya triggered this with his simple question of how she was able to control her Beast Spirit.

"Well, just luck, I guess," she replied, actually surprising me by not using this chance to proclaim her "mighty power" of self-control. _I'll give you a reason to be able to control yourself…_

"Not 'cause you're a girl?!" Tommy taunted, smiling at her deviously.

She thought about it. "Yeah, maybe. But I won't tell. A girl has to have…" She placed her index finger against her cheek, cocking her head and blinking to show off her 'innocence'. She then blew a kiss. "Secrets!" I could then imagine many little hearts in a creepy pink background all floating around.

"Do you feel as sick as I do right now?" Takuya questioned, his eyes narrowed and his hands in his pockets.

"No, I'm sicker…" Tommy moaned.

"Dudes, I'm blowing chunks over here…" I said flatly, turning away with a nauseated looked plastered on my face.

"Guys…" I could see that Zoe was annoyed with their reaction. Especially when Neemon agreed with an innocent 'me too!' "KNOCK IT OFF!"

The Gomamon then walked (well, how would you describe what they do? Waddle?) over to us and said, "We just wanted to thank you all. If it weren't for you, we'd never have seen our friends again!"

"You should be thanking, Zoe," Takuya stated, walking over and gesturing to Lavenderé standing over there with a puzzled look on her face.

"Yeah, she's the one who did everything," Koji added. _Despite it being Zoe, at least he was being modest…_

I crossed my arms. "I guess you should give credit where due," I continued, cocking my head over towards Zoe and flicking my index finger as a slight gesture.

Zoe lunged at them and hugged them both. I was just glad I moved out of the way just in the right amount of time "OH! You guys helped me more than you know!" she exclaimed, seemingly enjoying that little moment she created. Koji seemed a bit disturbed at her overreaction, but actually, Takuya seemed to enjoy it. Wasn't that obvious?

Then JP and Tommy begged for hugs and so she ran over there and began to hug them both repeatedly. When she tried to hug me, as a reflex, I whacked her upside the head and growled, "Don't you dare."

Koji, after watching my little dispute with Zoe, then turned to the Gomamon and asked, "Hey, did you guys see the Toucanmon?" _Dude, I just realized that I completely forgot about those morons._

"They're gone!" the leader replied simply. "They all left for the Autumn Leaf Fair!" _What the hell? Are we supposed to know what that is?!_

"Whaaa~!" I let out a small growl-like sound from deep in my throat. "The idiots! When I get my hands on them, I'm gonna tear them wing from wing until there's nothing left of them _oshiri_!" I punched my palm with a closed fist in determination and anger.

"The what?" Takuya questioned, most likely not having heard the Gomamon all that well. Or maybe he was just presenting his confusion in a verbal way.

And then, Bokomon walked up with his green book with the weird squiggles, answering Takuya's question, "It's a trader's market on the continent north of here."

"Then let's go!" The gogglehead pumped his fist, showing off his determination in catching the birdbrains.

"But how?" Zoe questioned, just defying what she said earlier about she being the only one with the slightest amount of optimism. Right now she seems like the perfect example of a pessimist. Or at least a high-pitched whiner.

"Ugh, why is nothing ever easy?" JP moaned, of course this being another one of his famous complaints. Should've seen that coming a mile away.

"Because it's the Digital World. Humans don't belong here, so we upset the balance of nature," I answered as-a-matter-of-factly, just rather pulling my answer out of the air. It was only by chance that it made even the slightest bit of sense. "And plus, all of the Digimon seem to hate us."

"Kaz, _you _seem to hate everything," Takuya corrected me, giving me a small shove on the shoulder.

"Hey, this isn't about me!"

"If you say so…"

"I do say so, moron!"

"Well, I don't care what you say, idiot!"

"I don't care that you don't care, numbnut!"

Koji interrupted our argument. "Guys, can't you just say you don't care about each other's opinions and be done with it?"

Our response came simultaneously. "NO!"

"Ugh…"

* * *

**That's right, I'm ending with an annoyed Koji. Chapter 17 should prove to be fun (what episode is that? oh yeah, the leaf fair one). Btw, that mentioned mentioned quote about taking away dreams when Mirai was giving her little speech was from Davis on the last episode of 02, right before he goes on to say he wants to start a noodle cart (noodle! noodle! come get your noodle!). and yes, the Rock the Boat song was actually on an M&M commercial (but i don't know if they still play that one). if you really wanna see it, try the greatness that is YouTube.**

**Btw, if anyone has any great ideas of what Takuya should do to Mirai for revenge (don't worry, i haven't forgotten about that detail), let me know. i'll be open to suggestions, cuz i don't know what i'm gonna do yet. i should probably figure that out...**


	19. Chapter 17

**Okay, to be honest, I am very angry at myself for being so unconstructive and ending the chapter so quickly. I had absolutely no ideas for this chapter and so I decided I could just join it with 18, cuz I had no ideas for that one, either. So I apologize if this chapter bores you. **

**Fyi, the song in this song that Takuya sings has a bunch of swearing in it, but I didn't feel it was right if I put in Japanese. And this song, I feel, is his theme song of modern-day music. I also have a song that I think applies to Koji, but that'll come up later. **

**Btw, this chapter (and the next) are technically Frontier-Tamers crossovers with the intertwining of the seasons' characters. But in my defense, this episode brought it upon itself (that sounded pretty dumb, imo). Because if you study episode 17 closely, you'll come to realize that there indeed is a Gallantmon with Takato and Guilmon's voices (it was talking to Zoe and said, "Wish we could help). And also, right under the context it is in within this chapter, if you pause and look at the scene where it shows a bunch of different Digimon, you will see a Terriermon talking with a Wormmon while indeed holding some kind of food on a stick (and if you look elsewhere in that same scene, you will also see Veemon talking with an Agumon, Arukenimon with Mummymon, and Gatomon with Wizardmon)**

* * *

Chapter 17

"Wow! This is working great! We should get to that Autumn Wheat Fair-thingy in no time!"

"I think we all heard you the _first_ time. And by the way, it's _Leaf_ Fair, not Wheat Fair," I grumbled in annoyance, peering over at Takuya out of the corner of my eye. The wind was whipping me in the face, a cold hard sting, but unlike most of the group here, I wasn't too affected by the cold. It was just something I had become accustomed to over a duration of time. The concept of warm temperatures, or heat, was something I had come to despise. It was just way too welcoming and happy.

But whatever, I never truly did mind the current situation, save Takuya and his ramblings. We had figured out it would work quite well to take our fancy little raft and take it downstream even more, even to the point of actually making it slide over the snow-covered ground. I had to admit, it was pretty genius.

"Yes, and as _I've_ said before," Bokomon began in slight irritation of repeating his words once again, "Let's hope so."

"And let's hope the Toucanmon are there," Tommy stated from the protection of his barrel. He glanced over at Neemon, who was just lying on the raft, fast asleep, a giant snot bubble inflated from out of his nose. "How could anyone sleep at a time like this?! Doesn't he know we have important things to do?!"

"Like what? Weep up the raft?" JP retaliated rhetorically, with a bit of flatness in his tone.

"No," I corrected, "push you off of it." I crossed my arms, and gazing forward, thinking of how weird it truly was that we were just on a tropical island, but no we're shooting through the Digital World's copy of Antarctica. To even grasp that idea could make someone's head hurt in the process of figuring out what season we're in. (duh, season four, stupid.)

In just a few short moments, Takuya then exclaimed, "Man, we're cooking along now!" _Dude, talk about repetitive. Do you just like hearing your own voice all that much. Because I can make you say 'ow' for a while if you really want._ "Well, maybe cooking wasn't really the right word!" he then corrected himself, grasping his bare arms and his teeth chattering loudly.

"Yeah, I can't feel my fingers!" Zoe whined.

"Gah! Stop complaining!" I snapped, snatching Takuya's gloves off of his hands and throwing them at the pathetic blonde. And even though they kinda just went flying at her head, when she found them in reach, she put them on with a small smile on her face. Even that annoyed me.

"But now _my_ fingers are cold!" Takuya complained, breathing into his hands in attempt to warm them up. But I could tell by the frustrated look on his fact that his solution wasn't really going over too well. It was obvious that he didn't know the science in that method. He was merely putting more water particles from his breath on his hands, which are freezing from the temperature. All in all, he's just making himself colder.

"Cry me a river and then buy me a boat, Takuya," I retorted back monotonously. Honestly, however, seeing his attempts were quite amusing, I had to admit.

He suddenly jumped to his feet, smiling in his very Takuya-ish manner. "I know what will help! Singing a fiery song!" _Oh my frickin' God. Please don't._ "Well, it's midnight, damn right! We're wound up too tight! I've got a fist full of whiskey the bottle just bit me! Ooohhh! That shit makes me bat-shit crazy! We've got no fear, no doubt, all-in, balls ooouuut!

"We're going off tonight to kick down every light! Take anything we want, drink everything in sight! We're going 'til the world stops turning while we burn it to the ground tonight!

"We're screaming like demons, swinging from the ceiling! I've got a fist full of fifties, tequila just hit me! Oooohhh, we got no class, no taste, no shirt, shit faced! We've got 'em lined up, shot down, firing back straight crown!

"We're going off tonight to kick down every light! Take anything we want, drink everything in sight! We're going 'til the world stops turning while we burn it to the ground tonight! *insert evil laugh here*

"Ticking like a time bomb, drinkin' till the night's gone. Get your hands off this glass, last call, my ass. Well, no chain, no lock, and this train won't stop! We've got no friend, no doubt, all-in, balls oooouuut!

"We're going off tonight to kick down every light! Take anything we want, drink everything in sight! We're going 'til the world stops turning while we burn it to the ground tonight!

"We're going off tonight to kick down every light! Take anything we want, drink everything in sight! We're going 'til the world stops turning while we burn it to the ground tonight!"

I just sat there as he went through this song, doing a little bit of deranged choreography along with it. And when he was done, I had a single eyebrow raised and a slightly disturbed look plastered on my face (but I wasn't the only one) as I stated arrogantly, "Uh…Takuya…that was…uh…beautiful."

"Beautiful wouldn't be the word I'd have used," Koji muttered under his breath, eyeing me like I was nuts or something. Hey, he was almost right. With everyone in _this_ group, I was probably pretty close to that line of insanity.

Takuya sat back down and said, "Well, okay, that did…nothing whatsoever." His hands rose back up to his bare arms. "Warm! Warm! Warm! Get. WARM!" _Is persuasion really going to work? If it does, that'll be a surprise to me._

Suddenly, I heard Tommy yelling. I looked back to see him freaking out because Neemon, with his little snot bubble, was sound asleep. "Neemon! Wake up! You can't sleep in the cold; you'll freeze to death!" he exclaimed in desperate alarm.

"Hey, look at that!" Bokomon turned his gaze to the water before us of which we were sailing. He seemed to be staring just randomly out into space, just making us turn our attention from Neemon to him. _Jealous are we?_

"Uh, what are we looking at?" JP asked.

I scowled as I looked around to where we were heading. "For once, nutbag, you asked a good, worthwhile question."

Bokomon pointed outwards directing in front of us. "Land ahead!" he shouted rather unenthusiastically. Although since he only had three fingers, when he was pointing, it seemed to me like he was flipping everyone off. How peachy was that little work of art?

I braced myself by gripping the raft as we beached on the snow, but kept sliding. We immediately hit an incline and so pretty much we were just going down a hill with a giant toboggan with a barrel and a palm tree sail hooked to it. I wondered what that looked like to any Digimon that just happened to be nearby at that particular moment.

"That was way better than I'd thought it'd be. But where is that Autumn Fair-thing?" Takuya questioned, never once getting the name of that stupid place right. He never really was good at geography. I assumed that never once changed in this large amount of time.

Bokomon pulled out his infamous green book with the funny squiggles from his pink waistband, as usual. Right when he opened the book, apparently he had turned to the right page on the first try, since he never flipped any more pages. "It should be just up ahead," he advised, not looking up from the page once.

"Before or after that giant hole in the ground?" I questioned, lifting my finger slightly in effort to point to the fairly large drop-off that we were quickly nearing.

"Everyone hold onto something so we don't fall off the raft!" Koji commanded, the only one thinking clearly about this. We all complied and braced ourselves for the impact of hitting the ground. Luckily, the only thing we lost was the palm tree (though I wasn't quite lucky enough for Zoe or JP to fall off. That really sucked eggs).

"What is that?!" Tommy questioned, still cowering in his little barrel of solace and protection while peering out in wariness. _I wonder what would happen if I put a rat in there with him…Heh, the rat would kick his _oshiri_…_

"A SNOWMAN?!" _Frosty the snowman got run over by a raft! He went flying and made us crash…na na naaa!_

As we didn't really brace ourselves completely for impact, and my new rendition the Frosty the Snowman was running through my head, we totally wiped out and destroyed our makeshift raft in the process. Oh well, I didn't really like the stupid boat-thing anyway. Even with no walls, its size still held a claustrophobic kind of feel to it. But I digress. It was still enjoyable to keep pushing Takuya off of it, especially seeing his face afterwards.

"It's warm here," Koji stated, feeling the grass-covered ground. It was strange, actually. All of the snow just stopped at this one point and after that point, it was all flourishing with green. It was just like stepping from the winter world outside into a greenhouse.

"It's warm? Why is it warm?" Zoe questioned, taking off Takuya's gloves to give them back to the gogglehead, whose goggles at this particular moment had fallen down and took rest around his neck, just dangling there.

"Maybe that!" he replied in exclamation, pointing to a giant furnace thing that stood in the dead center of a large village, towering over it. I assumed the village was the Autumn Leaf Fair. "Heh-hey, it's the fair-thingy!"

"Oh how I despise crabs…" Bokomon mumbled to himself as we entered the fair and looking around at all of the Digimon.

"Me too," I agreed. I then a double-take. "Wait, what?" I turned my attention to the Digimon before me, seeing a little green and manila-colored bunny thing with something on a stick. I found out that it made me hungry. Stupid bunny. "Hey, guys I'm gonna…walk away now! Let me know if you find anything!" I never saw myself take off so quickly after a rabbit with food on a stick before.

I turned alleyway after alleyway, wondering how that little dude moved so fast. He had those giant ears flying behind him, so much so I thought he was creating some strong air current of his own, defying all that coexist normally. It was strange, but I had no idea why I was really thinking about it all that much. In a way, it made me feel really stupid.

"Hey! Hey! Short bunny-thing! Stop!" I called out. But much to my surprise, he actually complied, and I ended up tripping over him and landing pretty much right on my head. I rubbed my forehead as I turned to a bunny of which I noticed was scowling at me, looking rather pissed off for a reason I assumed was because I nailed him head-on. But we all can be wrong sometimes, right? "Um…hello?"

"I'm _not_ short, I'm fun-sized! And I think that qualifies as rude," he stated as-a-matter-of-factly, shoving what was on a stick in his mouth and crossing his arms. His round eyes were rather piercing when he wished them so, but his overall appearance didn't really help the convincing. If I were a girly girl—aka Zoe—I would have cooed over him. And probably would have stabbed my eye on the little spike atop his head.

I bowed my head slightly. "_Gomen nasai_," I mumbled quietly, in case someone I knew was able to hear my words. They'd give me _kuso_ about it, because I was forced to apologize to a short bunny for something _I _did wrong. And they, I could easily see as clear as day, thought I was stuck-up. "By the way, where did you get the—" He then engulfed whatever it was on a stick in a single instant, and I missed what happened to the stick. "—Never mind."

He wiped his hands—er, paws one against the other, flinging any crumbs off his fingers. "The food?—" _I said never mind, didn't I? Do I feel bragging rights emitting from this dude? Yes, I believe I certainly do. _"—I traded these snot-head Digimon a shiny, new quarter for it. And I also got this thingy…" He held up a familiar device. "Guilmon told me and I quote, 'Terriermon, you should have traded it for bread!' Who's laughing now? Me!"

"You!" I lunged for it, but he turned away and I ended up falling on my face again. "That-that's mine! Hand it over, pipsqueak! I need that!" My gaze bounced back and forth between my D-Tector and the Digimon of which I assumed was Terriermon by his words. Why these things always happened to me was something that I wondered at this particular moment, like many other moments.

"Again with the short-related names? You're a very rude kid. Momentai, human, momentai." He nodded his head as he said these words, waving my D-Tector in such a way I was pretty sure that he was mocking me with his upper hand.

I didn't bother asking what momentai could possibly mean and swallowed my pride. I clasped my hands together and questioned, "Please Mr. Terriermon, sir, what can I do to get that from you? Give you my jacket? My large, inappropriate vocabulary? A pair of goggles I can easily steal? What do you want?!" In my mind, I was pretty much praying to _Kamisama_ that something would spark the little rabbit's attention.

He seemed to ponder a moment, taking in my insolent begging and all of my offers that pretty much came from the top of my head. And out of everything, I would have preferred him making me take Takuya's goggles. Then he answered finally, taking me by surprise, "Your shoe. Just one shoe."

"Uh…'scuse me?" I eyed the little bunny warily, raising a perplexed eyebrow to express my confusion. "My, uh…shoe?" I met a stern nod and complied, pulling off a single sneaker off my foot and handing it to him, slightly hesitant.

He took it in his small hands, examined it a little, and then glanced around. "Hmm…" He put his chin in his palm, thinking about probably what to do next. It must have suddenly came to him, as he all of a sudden took off running with both my shoe and D-Tector.

Trying not to step on something that could put a hole in my foot, like an unusually sharp rock or something (or Bokomon's pointy head), I ran after Terriermon. But I was soon mentally taken back when I noticed where the dumb rabbit had gone. "Uh…hi…uh, Takuya." I gave a cheesy grin.

He eyed me in mystification, primarily my foot. "Why does that rabbit have your shoe? And why do you seem so ticked off?" He suddenly smirked in a mocking manner. "The rabbit outsmarted you, didn't it?"

I pointed my index finger at the culprit of all of these recently-occurring actions. "That stupid bunny has my D-Tector! He said he'd give it back if I gave him my shoe!" I then realized just how idiotic that sounded right when the words that seemed so normal in my head had left my lips. "And he didn't, the lying _shiseiji_!"

Terriermon objected my statement with a gaze that opposed me all in its own, words weren't needed all that much to give a good argument. "Momentai! I'll give it to you when I'm good and ready! And I never lie, I just stretch the truth a little."

I clicked my tongue, crossing my arms. "Same difference, moron!" I suddenly made a lunge toward the annoying rabbit, but in reaction, Terriermon threw the shoe at Takuya, who got nailed in the head by it, but by some, demented chance was able to catch it, nonetheless. "Takuya, be nice for one little chance and—" I didn't get to finish me desperate plea.

He merely grinned and taking the tennis shoe in his hand like a football, hurled it over the buildings and tents of the Autumn Leaf Fair out of sight. And to this he blurted out, pumping a clenched fist, "Salamander strikes again! Hoo-ha!"

I gave him a shove, noticing that Terriermon had done like lots of Digimon do in this world: disappeared as if they had teleportation powers, and then took off after my shoe, shouting back at him, "Kanbara, you are so dead! When I get my D-Tector back, you're gonna wish you never even said 'hello' to me in the first place!"

"That's too bad, Kaz, 'cause I already wish that!" he retaliated.

I groaned, turning to the path ahead of me and trying to collect any reminiscence of the general area of its landing. _Crud, I never should have played football with him all those times…_I immediately shook thoughts concerning the stupid goggle-head out of my mind; he was the cause of too much of my anger, I couldn't keep forcing those memories on myself. It would have made me like a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any given moment.

I weaved my way through crowds of Digimon, no sign of Terriermon anywhere, dodging anything blocking my path. Sound of chatter, much like the voices and talking that went down in the marketplaces of Japan. I never liked it there, going from one shop to another, just to find the things that I needed. My mom always advised me to go to the marketplace instead of a normal convenience store; there I could bribe for a better price. I was a little kid then, I… ehem, "had that special touch" my mom had always said. She always sent me there to cheat out people, teaching me just what to say, when to say it, _how _to say it. Just so they'd take the bait and I could real in the prize. That's how I was raised, methods of invisible skill.

Suddenly, I spotted my shoe. But there was one problem: it was on top of a tall Digimon's head.

What

The

Hell?

I walked up to the Digimon, a valiant knight-resembling figure in colors of red and white. It held a large, round shield in its hand with triangle designs arranged in rather intriguing patterns. Right at that moment, he seemed to be arguing with himself about something. I heard the word 'bread' a couple times, but I couldn't really be sure.

I stepped forward in a rather awkward way, mainly for the fact that I was walking unevenly because of the absence of the shoe on the dude's head. "Uh, hello tall guy. This may seem very weird to you, but you have…my shoe…on your head." I lifted a single finger in effort to point to the sneaker atop his head. "And if you don't mind…I'd kinda like that back."

The Digimon turned and gazed at me a moment like he was asking 'is that some weird human way of making fun of my head or something?' "A…human? Another human?" His voice came out like he was two people, MPD put into a new perspective here.

"Yeah, I'm human, what's your point? Give me my shoe, dorkus." I crossed my arms, losing my patience. Waiting wasn't really something I was all that good at. And this was one of those times I just wanted to stomp over and do things myself, just to make it all go faster. If I had to, I reasoned, I'd climb up this guy like climbing Mt. Everest and snatch my shoe.

He—them—whoever—seemed to ignore my comment, seemingly taken back by my appearance here. But then again, it wasn't exactly normal to see a human in the Digital World, a place where we just didn't belong. He suddenly answered, a single voice rising this time, "Did you bring bread with you?" The other argued with the first, a more human-sounding one, "Guilmon, this is not the time! Sorry about my friend, he doesn't keep his priorities straight."

I stared in confusion for a while, wondering what the hell kind of disease this guy had. And if it was contagious. "Uh-huh…I have a question: Do you have a mental problem or just spend _waaay _too much time alone?"

"No! I don't have a mental problem!" He then realized what option that left. "And don't think we're crazy or anything, it's just that—" I cut him off, my pissed off-ness increasing significantly because he never had solved my problem. He just kept blabbing on and on.

"Shut the hell up and give me my shoe!" Even though that'd hurt me more than him, I just wanted to punch him.

He grumbled something that sounded like 'geez, don't throw a hissy. You sound just like Rika', but I couldn't be too sure. He then tried to look upward to try to spot the shoe, but on his helmet, there seemed to be a little visor-thing that prevented him front seeing it. So there he was…kinda…spinning around in circles trying to grab my tennis shoe of which I wasn't even sure that I wanted any more. It just wasn't worth this effort.

The more Digimon-sounding voice emerged, "Takato, I'm getting dizzy! Can we think of a different plan? One that doesn't make me feel so sick…?"

I let out a strange growling noise. "Lose your lunch on me, tall, crazy, and nauseous, and I'll whack you over the head with your own shield." I didn't add the fact that I probably couldn't even lift it, but that really wasn't something relevant to my threat.

"Okay, boy, okay…" The tall dude stopped spinning around, waving around in a circular motion. My beloved shoe still held its place upon his towering figure in such a way that I was beginning to think that it purposely stayed there, Stuck fast. Either that or Takuya apparently had more throwing skill than I originally realized.

Coming to the conclusion that it may be a while before I actually am able to get my shoe back onto my foot, I decided to take my time and see what this guy's deal was. That is, if I even wanted to know. "Okay, you insane creep, tell me exactly who you are and don't give me crap here."

The human voice answered my question with a significant amount of firmness, but there was a little voice in my head that was only some little façade, "Together we are Gallantmon, but individually I'm Takato and my partner is Guilmon."

This little bit of information caught my outmost attention. "Wait, are you saying you're human?" I continued after a nod from thee who was called Gallantmon, "Pfft, I don't buy it. I'll believe it when I see it, dude." I made a disbelieving expression and made it rest for a few moments on my face. Combine with a Digimon; that was all _kuso_. I wondered what rock he hit _his_ head on.

Gallantmon rubbed the back of his head. "See the problem is…we can't remember how to uh…De-Biomerge." I bet if I could have seen his mouth, he would have been giving me this really cheesy grin, presumably similar to the one Takuya always puts on his stupid face.

I shoved my hands in my pockets, not buying their excuse, and sighed. "Well, isn't that unfortunate?" I questioned sarcastically, truly not caring either way, that fact revealed in my expressionless tone. "Anyway, if you're done with your little masquerade here, I'll be wanting my shoe if you've forgotten."

He mumbled my words in a high, grumbling tone before saying, "Not my problem." _A little pissed off at me, are we? Well, that's just fine. I'm used to it by now. I swear, there's a chromosome in every strand of DNA of every single creature that makes them get annoyed by me. And sometimes, that is a blessing for me._

"Okay, then. I'll get it myself." I took a single-step running start and made a frantic leap. I reminded myself of what I had thought earlier: Just like Mt. Everest.

"Hey! Watch it!"

I ignored all of Gallantmon's complaints as I clambered awkwardly up, holding on despite his attempts to pry me off. When I had managed to get onto his shoulders, I pulled my shoe off of whatever part of the stupid guy's head it actually managed to get stuck on. "I got it!"

But suddenly, Gallantmon began to glow a white light and then shrunk into two smaller other forms. And of course, with my dumb luck, it had to be right when I was on his shoulders. So thus, in a single second, I found myself mangled on the ground.

"Get off! You're squishing my head!"

I got up quickly, realized I was indeed squashing the kid of which I assumed was the one that had earlier introduced himself as Takato. It was now I began to believe what Gallantmon said about being part human and part Digimon, because next to Takato was a red raptor-like Digimon, of whom I concluded to be Guilmon. "Gomen," I mumbled, truly not all that sorry for landing on his head. But hey, that wasn't much of a surprise.

"Hey, Guilmon, why did we lose the Biomerge?" Takato turned to the red dinosaur with a confused look on his face. But the way he wore that expression told me he got perplexed on a regular basis. Or it was just his main mood.

Guilmon rubbed his head. "I don't know, Takatomon. I think it was because we were distracted with that girl climbing up to get her shoe and so lost our grip. Or maybe it was because I haven't had bread in a while. That's a vital part of my day."

Takato laughed at Guilmon's bread-comment. "That's true. Padlocks and chains couldn't hold you away from your seven square meals of pastry a day."

I suddenly did a double-take and stopped putting my shoe on as I had started doing. "Wait…girl?" My hands flew up to my head in a blur. _Kuso_. My eyes darted back and forth, in searching for my lost hat. I was misplacing everything today, it just was a huge off-day for me. "Kid, tell me one thing: Where the hell is my hat?"

Takato eyed me warily, but before he could say anything, I spotted my cap a mere few feet away and grabbed it, putting my hair back up into it. I sent him a glare while threatening, "If you ever meet any other human here, you say I'm a guy. Got it, Shortstack?" I gritted my teeth, making sure that he took my warning seriously.

He gave a nervous grin back at me. "Yeah, what's not to get?" His voice cracked. I loved that little power I had on individuals shorter than me. Ball a fist and they'd go to Mars and back for ya. I honestly couldn't think of anything more satisfying. _But then again, there is still Koji… Can't get more satisfied with anything else…_

I eased my stance, crossing my arms. "Good." But then I realized something oddly peculiar about Takato's appearance.

Goggles.

* * *

**Btw, the part where Bokomon mentions crabs, I wasn't really sure what he said at that part, so that's what I decided to go with. Honestly, that's what I heard come out of his mouth. **

**Anyway, review please! I will get out the next chapter as soon as I can.**


	20. Chapter 18

**Okay, before I get onto chapter 18, I'd like to wish my dear Angelwings12 a happy birthday! Hope your day is full of joys and happiness and other stuff I can't think of right at this particular moment that come with being one year older! *hands cupcake* And I'd also like to wish everyone a happy Memorial Day and warn everyone how hard it is to find a place with WiFi that's open on holidays! *takes bow***

**Now that that's all done, I'd like to present chapter 18!**

**Chapter 18**

"Where did you get those, Kid?" I demanded, my fist up to his chin and a glare stabbing him with sharp daggers. The only one I knew to have goggles was Takuya, but I don't know why I was so angry about it. Maybe because I was so used to Fire Boy having goggles and that being his trademark, it was just so strange with someone having them and pretty much ruining the image I got of him.

"Well, I found them in a dumpster in Shinjuku. I hid them from my mom for a while, 'cause she thought they were junk, but…yeah, I'll shut up now." Takato stopped speaking abruptly, putting on a what-are-we-gonna-do-now kind of look. He seemed like the type to nag whenever he was lost of something to do for a single moment.

I shook my head, even though he had asked nor said anything, bothered by his accessory for the curse of my demented Memory Aura. "Stupid nostalgia." I rubbed my eyes in slight irritation of not much more than…well, myself. Why did I have to burden myself with coming to this world and remembering this load of _kuso_?

Takato's attention seemed to be drawn away from me onto something else. "Hey, is that one your friends?" He pointed, causing me to turn and look for myself.

Crud.

"_Kuso_!" I tackled Takato down, behind a couple of crates and boxes and crap, out of sight. My voice came out as a venomous whisper, "Why did you say anything sooner? What, are you trying to get me killed—you are, aren't you?"

"You're squashing my head again!" Takato flailed wildly, only managing to hit me a couple times, which was probably a disappointment for him. But his anger burning against me was probably bigger than that frustration. Everyone seemed to hate me lately. _Kamisama_ knows why that was.

I removed myself from on top of him, in a crouch my index over my lips. But then, my attention was averted from the gogglehead impersonator to the red dinosaur, Guilmon, who was nearby…

_Fate hates me, doesn't it?_

"Yep! My Tamer is right over there hiding behind those boxes!" He pointed directly at us, well, specifically Takato, but I was right next to him, so it was close enough to cover blown. "Takatomon!"

"_Fukku_…" I grumbled, grinding my teeth. But then I stood up, a sense of relief washing over me like a gentle wave lapping on the shore. "Thank _Kamisama._ Koji! If it were anyone else, I woulda shot myself."

He gave me a sly grin that seemed to barely penetrate his lips. "Consider yourself lucky, then," he retorted, mostly just messing with me. He then noticed Takato sitting feet from me, now out of his you're-squishing-my-head position, he was sitting cross-legged watching us with a bit of curiosity, probably thinking 'why doesn't she give _him_ a death threat?' "Exactly who is that?" He mimicked Takato's facial expression.

I glanced back at, as Guilmon called him, the Tamer for a split-second before putting my gaze back on the Warrior of Light. "Long story," I advised, although I seriously doubted that he wanted to hear a story in the first place. I changed the subject. "Did you find your D-Tector?"

Koji shook his head. "No sign of any of the D-Tectors or even the Toucanmon. Did you find anything?" He went into thought, probably thinking of the possible places that the stupid birds could have gone. But that was just about anywhere.

"I found my D-Tector—" Koji perked up. "—but I don't have it." And un-perked. "Some weird little rabbit-thing with some kind of food on a stick, I think his name was Terriermon or something has it. He told me he would give it to me if I gave him my shoe, but…that didn't happen." I didn't really like going into specific details.

"Wait, Terriermon stole your whatchya-ma-call-it?" Takato jumped to his feet, nearly falling back over from what I could only assume was a head rush, and looked at me for complete confirmation of my statement.

"Yeah, at least I think that's what he said his name was. He mentioned Guilmon, I think as well." I turned to the red raptor, of whom had found interest in his own tail and was nibbling on it for whatever reason. He must have been either really hungry or just really bored. "Something about bread…?"

This caught Guilmon's attention, and he turned around, watching me in great expectation. "Bread? You brought me bread?" He saw my emotionless expression and that expectation disappeared. "Takatomon, she scares me."

I raised a baffled eyebrow. "I'm not even gonna ask." I turned to…uh, Takatomon (I wasn't even going to think of all of the different ways that could have started) and questioned, "Okay, so you're acquainted with that stupid rabbit?" I crossed my arms and watched him with outmost concern. He might hold the break I was looking for.

"A little more than acquainted…" He rubbed the back of his head, probably recalling something utterly embarrassing that needed not be mentioned, nor did he want it to be. "Let's just say we go back a bit…"

I was pretty much at his throat, my fists balled. "Okay, then where is he? C'mon, kid, we don't have all day! So either you tell me, or I—" I stopped suddenly, Koji resting his hand on my shoulder and shaking his head. I sighed in aggravation before throwing aside my anger, blushing for the fact that he was touching me. I then complied, putting my hands to my sides and bowing my head slightly. "_Gomen nasai_."

Takato seemed confused on what just happened, looking back and forth between Koji and me. "Hey, did you two meet in a dream, too?"

"Is it just me or did that make just about no sense at all whatsoever?" I questioned, cocking my head to one side and eying him warily. But yet in my mind, I could answer more sincerely. _It all felt like a dream…and sometimes like a nightmare. But even if it is…I never want to wake up. If I do and it turns out all to be the sucky life that I lead, I will hang myself._

Everyone just plainly ignored my rather rhetorical question and Koji continued by asking, "Okay, so where did Terriermon go? Do you know?" He casually had his hand shoved into his pocket, as he always did and appeared completely calm. It never ceased to amaze me how cool and collected he could remain, given any situation. Okay, maybe not _every _situation, but nonetheless, there was hardly a time where you could see his true self, despite how much more charming it was than the mask he always wore.

"I can't really be sure." The gears in Takato's head began to turn. "But I remember when I last talked to him—who knows how long ago that was—he said something about going to a Trailmon race or something." He paused, pondering his own words. "But I don't know whether that had passed already or not."

I shook my head. "We can't take that chance! Koji, you keep looking for your D-Tector, I'll find mine. We'll meet up eventually. Make sure everyone thinks I'm dead, that way I won't get as much negative lip." I began to lead Takato away, Guilmon just knowing to follow us. "Catch ya later, Minamoto."

"Are you sure he's not your dream guy?" Takato questioned, looking at me, after we had gotten some distance away.

*WHACK!* "Don't even start with me, kid. And since Koji isn't here to stop me, you'd better learn now, it'll save you a hell of a lot of bruises later." After giving what he deserved, I let him lead the way, hoping by the slightest chance that he knew where he was going. But with the look on his face, I took that as a negative. "Okay, so where would your buddy Terriermon go with something that could probably destroy the whole world if in the wrong hands?"

Takato shrugged as we began to walk out of the Autumn Leaf Fair, probably just a random direction he chose by mentally spinning around in a circle and beginning to walk. "I can never be sure with that guy. One minute he'll be rhyming about food, the next be blowing you up with a Bunny Blast."

"Reassuring," I replied flatly.

Guilmon, who was sniffing around to pick up a scent, suddenly went up into a straight position, his eyes went almost completely yellow as he said in a rough grunt, "I smell bunny rabbit."

"That's good, boy, keep it up," Takato complimented his Digimon, putting a small smile on his face.

The red raptor shook his head in objection to Takato's words. "No, different bunny. Bad bunny." A growl emerged from deep in his throat and I instantly knew who it was.

"Lekismon! Show yourself, you _subeta_!" I yelled out, letting my anger burn against my rival Digimon, secretly hoping that she didn't know that my D-Tector wasn't in my own possession. I didn't need any more weaknesses.

The familiar laugh emerged from what seemed like every direction. "You haven't changed at all since I last saw you, little girl! As hot-headed and brainless as always!" Her slim, rabbit-like figure appeared in the distance. "You make me ashamed of myself. It's like I didn't teach you anything!" She placed her paws upon her hips.

"You're wrong! You taught me just how much I could hate one single pink Digimon!" I then composed myself. "_Arigatou_, _Subeta_." I put a confident grin on my face, masking all of the fear I actually held within me. If worse comes to worse, hopefully Takato could merge with Guilmon and fight.

Lekismon began to walk nearer, her form becoming clearer and clearer with each step she took. "You really piss me off, girly. I should teach you some proper manners!" She then took notice to the others with me at my sides. "Ooh, well hello there cute little human. Have you and your pet come to be destroyed with this stuck-up brat here?" She held on her face a very certain smile, apparently foreseeing no complications in her plan. Whatever that was.

Guilmon growled louder and stepped before between me and Lekismon. "Bad bunny."

The poor Energizer Bunny impersonator merely let out a cackle, still holding her gaze upon me. "Why look so sure of yourself, child? You really don't know how much of a disadvantage you're at. See, it's so fun to be so charming! You can make any little Digimon looking for love do whatever you please!" She tossed my D-Tector up and caught it in her paw again.

_Ugh, that _shiseiji _Terriermon! Why do the guys always go for the girly girls?_ I gritted my teeth, wanting to burry myself in the dirt and never come out, just to show how humiliated I felt. "No matter what I do, why do _you _always end up with that?" I snapped, annoyed with how all of the odds seemed to be with the pink and purple things. "You're like a frickin' magnet for God's sake!" I wanted to fall to the ground screaming, 'Why me? Whhhyy?'

She giggled girlishly. "Must be destiny." She then turned to look out in the distance. "Or maybe because those under Cherubimon are just smarter than thee. But whatever the case, we've got everything all devised beautifully." She gave me an evil stare, a devilish smirk written on her face. "And the best part is, my dear, is that I was given special permission to kill you if need be. Isn't that great?"

"Don't worry, Mirai, we won't let that happen." Takato took something out of the same style as a D-Tector, but was smaller and had a clip on it to enable the owner to hook it to a belt loop or something. Takato seemed like the type to try to clip it onto his nose and call it a nose ring. "Bio-Merge Activate!"

There was a bright, blinding light as both Takato and Guilmon disappeared, and in their place, a tall warrior took its stand. It was then I noticed how funky its eyes were and how their animal-like shape defied the warrior's human stature.

Lekismon mumbled something illegible before diving into battle. Instead of keeping her eyes upon her target, they remained upon me, foul emotion emblazoned within them. With a growing curiosity, I wanted to know what drove her so into wanted so much to destroy me. Enveloped in a hard loathing, she wanted nothing much more than my blood smeared across the ground and all of my bones shattered. _But why?_

Suddenly, a voice rang out from a direction I knew not of, "Lekismon, I command you to cease this fighting immediately! Contravene me not or I shall be forced to annihilate you!" The voice showed no compassion for this bunny—though it was easy to see why—even though they may have been on the same side. At least that would give me one less thing to worry about. And one less thing to get headaches from.

Lekismon halted at that very instant, taking up a rather casual, unruffled position, seemingly have already let down her guard, having apparently nothing to be concerned about. She let out an irritated sigh as she said in complete annoyance of the interruption, "I could have won, I hope you know. Do you doubt my abilities?"

The voice laughed evilly, in a rather mocking tone. "Yes, I do—" _Ooh, burn_. "—But that besides my point. Why fight if there is no meaning behind it?" There was a slight pause. "You are foolish, Lekismon. Maybe for that reason, you have yet to Digivolve to Ultimate. You lack the knowledge to go to the next stage; therefore, you are of little use to our purpose. Why Cherubimon keeps you here is something I cannot be sure of. But nonetheless, I will not question his desires."

"Aren't we a goody-goody?" Lekismon placed her paws upon her hips and glared out at the distance, if there actually was someone there. "It wouldn't get you far playing by the book. It may give you points with Cherubimon, but it doesn't work anywhere else. Sorry to disappoint you, honey."

"I'm no people-pleaser, as you _may_ or _may not_ know. But then again, what are the chances that you knew? You're just a self-involved _subeta_." The voice was rather smug, a proud tone that showed she cared nothing about Lekismon or her feelings. Well, that gave us one thing in common.

I made the notion of a held back laughter, placing my hand over my mouth. "That is _so _true. All things that are pink are _subetas_. You especially, Lekismon." I composed myself quickly after saying this, crossing my arms defiantly. "You're so stubborn and ignorant, namely when you're getting your _oshiri_ kicked."

This really pissed her off big. She made a lunge at me, burning in her fury a fiery rage that was unmatched by few, a buildup from times past and times to come. "Be remorseful and die, human! Tear Arrow!"

I held up my arms fin front of my face, putting up as big of a guard as I could manage, trying above all things to protect anything vital. There wasn't much I could do to defend myself, and since I didn't have my D-Tector, I felt as useless as hell. And now, this could quite possibly my doomsday; thinking I had many last doubts was an understatement. I was praying that the dear Lord would maybe spare me a single arm and my digestive system so at least I could feed myself, despite the fact that heaven would be much more pleasant than living my life with just one arm.

"You! Why must you interfere?"

I averted my gaze from the inside of my eyelids to the scene going on around me. Gallantmon had stepped in front of Lekismon and blocked the attack, saving my life. He had taken a stabbing in the chest, piercing through his armor and into the skin below. But when I turned my attention to Lekismon, it wasn't him that she was directing her concentration to. It was a figure, which had now appeared in this small amount of time.

Avaruusmon.

Gallantmon made no sound. He just stood there, not even grasping his wound with a single hand. His eyes were blank, staring out into nothingness as if nothing else in this universe, in this entire expansion of space. But then suddenly…he dispersed into this nothingness of which he was staring. No Fractal Code, no blood.

Nothing.

I suddenly felt bottled up anger explode from in my being. Takato and Guilmon had done nothing wrong, they hadn't been offensive to Lekismon at all; I had been, it was my fault. My fault they were dead…_But why wasn't there Data or anything…?_ "How could you do such a selfish act of murder? It was cold-hearted, without reason! They had done nothing to deserve such lack of sympathy! Nothing, Lekismon! Have you no heart, no soul, no kindness of any kind? You killed them and yet you feel no remorse! How can you call yourself a living creature?" I snapped, words escaping my lips before they even came into my mind.

Avaruusmon stepped nearer, her dark armor glinting in the sun's beating rays. "For the answer that she doesn't. Yet you are correct, Mirai Kimishima. They did _nothing_ to deserve because in fact they did nothing at all. They are _nothing_," she answered for Lekismon, her voice coming out as chilling as ice, showing no emotion whatsoever. Before I could contradict, she said more, "For they were nothing more than apparitions, illusions of those who once were. For my master has given me visions of all of space and time of this world, and it is of my choice what to do with them."

I found myself grow into a bit of shock, a chill going down my spine. "So they were…never there. They were of a different time, a different space…" Doubt began to fill my mind. _What if…Koji is an apparition as well…Avaruusmon's tool to deceive us all…?_

I tried to shake that thought out of my head, but it had remained, despite my efforts to remove it. This all could have been Cherubimon's stupid little game; he could have been—and still may be—merely toying with me. I would watch as the bond with the Legendary Warriors—though for most I wouldn't call it a "bond"—was suddenly crushed under his betraying fist. And I would be crushed as well—shattered like fragile glass. Because if my assumption was indeed true, no matter how much I don't want it to be, Koji would be a figment of some other time and space, merely recreated by Avaruusmon's chimera. And this fact…it utterly terrified me to death.

"What are you, Avaruusmon?" I snapped uncontrollably, out of the blue. "Are you a twisted _subeta_ that sees this as a little production? Like you're the puppeteer and everyone is your slaves as if this all an act? Tell me, Avaruusmon, what is your purpose?" I let all of my emotions control me; the fear and anxiety in my voice was clear and noticeable; the rage drove me forward.

She laughed rather childishly, losing all hints of evil in her voice for these few moments. "Love is but a game. It's fun at first, but eventually grows old and boring." She stopped there, but nothing in her words answered my demands. Then she suddenly continued, cutting in right when I was going to speak, "They say love is patient. They say love is kind. But why is that not true for me? They say love protects, it trusts and gives us hope. It does not delight in evil. But if that's true, why do I feel so blue? Love is pointless and useless."

I answered, turning to look out into the distance, "I hate it, but we need it. You see, without love, what would we do? They say, 'Follow the road that leads us to it,' but I'd much rather prefer to stay away from it, but every road I take leads back to you." I didn't understand why I had finished that saying for Avaruusmon, or how she even knew it, since it was written by a human. I remembered in much more bitter of days, it had always come into my mind. But now, it seemed to hold more significance, significance that was yet unknown to me. But nonetheless, there was a different…aura to it. One I was _going_ to figure out, one way or another.

"Hmph! Quaint, I must say! Two enemies speaking of love, finishing each others' sentences, two enemies that are all and the same. I find this quite intriguing, to be honest with you. It's like a soap opera without the boring theme song," Lekismon stated, her plan of what I assumed was an attempt to turn attention back to her working. She then looked at me. "Honey, if you only knew just how ironic this is." There was a smile plastered on her face, one that I would expect to see—and _have_ seen—on Zoe.

If I could see Avaruusmon's eyes right then, I could have safely assumed she was glaring fierce daggers at Lekismon. A low growl escaped her before she snapped, "Be silent, or this land will forever be your resting place! Do you not remember that which Lord Cherubimon has planned? Do you _not_ recall the laws of which were laid down you came to us?" Her voice was a loud, booming bark that seemed to make the whole world around us grow dead quiet. Even the wind had stopped blowing at that instant.

Apparently, Lekismon found reason to yell back, going onto a topic she didn't want to discuss, "You have no right to speak of such manners to me! For you had not come until far after my arrival! You only know of this because you are the spawn of Cherubimon, his dear creation! For my history is none of your concern!"

I tried to back off, my D-Tector seeming less and less of importance to me as time went on. Both of my enemies present were ticking time bombs, both erupting in their anger and loathing of each other. It was like being stuck between two magnets. N and S were going to collide eventually, and it really hurts to be in the middle when that happens. The moment when they pinch your finger and you can't pull them apart.

"Kimishima, I command you to stop." Avaruusmon's impatient voice made me stop and become dead still. I did nothing, not even turn to look to see if she was going to attack for my attempt of fleeing. "I am not finished with you yet. Your time grows shorter, but it shall not end just yet. For if time stops, space cannot thrive, nothing in existence can live and prosper. Yet you have yet to harness such power, _that _is why I was sent. To harness that power _for you_." The way she said those words made the blood inside me stop flowing.

I felt a hard chill shoot down my spine. She didn't want to destroy me, she wasn't permitted to, but she was going to take my Spirit in order to take the element of Time. It was a part of me, and even though for that moment I wanted to leave it, I knew through and through that I couldn't. That mistake would come back and destroy me.

My voice cracked as I turned around as if in slow motion, showing just how scared I really was. "W-why? Why m-must you take it f-from…me?" I questioned, barely managing to get the words out of my mouth. I didn't think it really mattered to hide my fear, she probably could see through my façade anyway like I had nothing to hide it with in the first place.

She seemed unimpressed, like my question was expected, and with the wisdom she already displayed, she probably already did see it coming. She scoffed, "The only way to predict the future is to have the power to _shape_ the future. And you have proven to my lord that you cannot control that power of which comes with being a descendant of a Legendary Warrior. You throw away that ability as if it has no meaning. Maybe you truly were correct, it's your brother who better can handle such."

That hit it where it stung the most. My worries of futility and inferiority had been dwelling inside me, worries I tried to shove away into the depths of my mind. I pretended to dismiss those feelings that she had just stirred up inside me. I merely forced a smile. "Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game."

She seemed to know just how to answer that remark. "And yet you let fear control you. Such rash actions that show just how afraid you are, how foolish someone as pathetic as you could possibly be. That's not being a good role model for the young Warrior of Ice, I hope you know." She began to pace around me, shoving Lekismon out of her path without even hesitating to do so.

I kept my gaze straight before me, only looking at Avaruusmon when she passed through my line of vision. "I don't care about that stupid kid. He shouldn't be here; he doesn't belong here, as all of those other stupid kids don't. They can't handle the fact they could actually get killed here! It's like they don't even care what's at stake just by being somewhere humans don't belong!" I balled my fists, keeping them down at my sides.

Avaruusmon faced me. "And are you saying that _you_ belong here?"

My face softened to a reminiscing expression. "I don't belong anywhere…"

This was something I thought about time and time again, something that gave me an isolating feeling of perpetual sadness that I could no cure for, no matter where I endlessly searched. No solution or answer ever came to me, a comfort that I desired and mourned for, coming with a welcoming, delightful embrace. I found myself constantly at a loss for remedies and cures, no way to cease this empty void inside me where happiness once dwelled and flourished. But this was because there was no cure, no solution, no answer. No way out of this endless maze of which was the journey of life, no way to change my destiny. I wanted to be like Romeo Montague, shouting up to the skies, "I defy you, stars!" I wanted to go against that destiny written in the stars of which was called my future.

Future.

That was the meaning of my name. Maybe it was for this reason I was called by such. I was _meant_ to have a place in this world, meant to be the Warrior of Time, meant to have the power to control the future—_my _future.

And this idea proved Avaruusmon wrong.

I continued to speak, "…But I can control what I feel, it's my own ability. I can decide where I want to belong and why I want to be there. The Digital World is much better than my world, that is a fact I'm certain of. But that says nothing about why I love it so."

Avaruusmon stopped and stared directly at me, giving me a look that said I had caught her attention. "Too much past dwells there in the human world, memories you've tried to run from. But here they have returned to you, leaving a bittersweet flavor that has left you hurt and confused. And you feel this world holds an answer for you, a key to your future." She began to circle again. "Yet these memories still prevail in holding you back, keeping you in the eyes of your deepest, darkest fears."

I tried with outmost aggression to hide how much shock I felt. She knew me as well as I knew myself, and could use everything she knew to reopen mostly healed wounds and at the same time, make new, deeper ones. "I find no reason for you to be messing around with my memories! How do you know so much about me and my life in the human world? And if you know so much, tell me about _nii-san_! Tell me about Koichi!" I emotionally stabbed myself right in the heart by surprising myself in the mentioning of his name. I had not only taken myself by surprise with voicing the words that had not even crossed my mind, but noticed how much they hurt to do so. My mind and heart knew enough to sting with the words, but my memories didn't know to tell me why I was supposed to feel the pain in the first place.

She merely let out an evil chuckle. "Lekismon!" My D-Tector was thrown to her. "Let's just say, Mirai Kimishima, the story behind Koichi is for another day, another time. But will not be the one to reveal such matters to you. It is for yourself to learn of this particular past." With that, she took off and disappeared from sight.

Lekismon turned to me and winked at me, smiling her frickin' head off while giggling childishly. "Well, it's been fun, little girly! Taw-taw for now, toots!" Out of pretty much nowhere, she took out a jetpack and flew off into the horizon, laughing like she was a witch on a broom. **[There's your jetpack, Toshiku Yumari! I managed to put that part in part in there for ya!]**

"_Kuso_!" I scoffed in my furious rage, kicking a rock off into the distance with the toe of my shoe. I had never felt so frustrated, "I had been deceived so easily! I trusted an _illusion_! How could I think there were more humans here? _FUKKU!_" I collapsed to the ground to bang my fists upon it and relieve some of the irritation burning within me like molten lava. But suddenly, it opened up under me, a void created that I plummeted into. I found myself screaming, but my curiosity had matched my terror. My thoughts had led to Avaruusmon. Maybe, quite possibly, she was the Legendary of Space. She could bend it around her to become invisible, use it to create lifelike illusions, and now, I figured out, to create holes in material objects.

But something still got me: Where did this void lead to?

Soon, however, I found my answer. It led to a desert-looking area derived of life, most of the cliffs and natural walls made of chalky stone. It was rather mountainous, yet there were Trailmon tracks laid out all around. I saw a bunch of the train Digimon speeding along, all in one direction. Almost like they were…racing.

I watched in horror as a reddish-brown one neared, nearly hitting me. I jumped out of the way, tumbling to the ground. And from on it, I heard a voice ring out loud and clear, taunts seemingly being the intention, "Adios, fuzzface!" _Of course…It couldn't have been anyone else but him…_ He noticed me lying by the track. "Hey, Kaz! It's about time you showed up!" he yelled, waving at me. "Wish we could stop to pick you up, but I've got a race to win!" _A race. I knew it._ "Later, buddy! Wahoo!"

They flashed by, spinning up a large cloud of dust and dirt at me. I shielded my face with my arms and got up to my feet, beginning to walk back in the opposite direction of which the few Trailmon that had already passed by me and were now going. I figured it had to lead back to somewhere and maybe my luck would get better than it had been all day long, there being something more than nothing farther down the way.

* * *

And there definitely was _something_ up the road, something that I couldn't really find a good word to define it with. Wait… a nightmare, that's what it was.

"Kazuma! I'm so happy to see you! I thought you were dead!" Zoe squealed, running up to me like a speeding bullet (I would have preferred Superman to her any day). I was instantly forced into a vice of death, and despite my slightly taller stature, she managed to lift me off the ground a few inches. I could literally feel the life dissipating right out of me.

I gasped for the breath that simply wasn't coming. "Zoe…bones….shattering…" I moaned, barely getting the words out of my lips from lack of oxygen, but then I decided that I should use what little breath I had for one last plea. "I'm not dead! I'm not dead! But I will be if this continues for much longer!" I made a really high-pitched squeak in effort to bring the air to my lungs. It wasn't working.

She let go and I flopped onto the ground. "Oopsie!" She giggled, holding her hand to her mouth, seemingly only a little ashamed of what she just did. But I could see some satisfaction in her ability to literally suffocate me with something that seemed to take no effort at all whatsoever on her part. If only it had been the same way for me. "Sorry Kazuma, I lost all control for a minute there."

"_No_ really?" I questioned sarcastically. I decided to change the subject, since I figured it wasn't going to get me anywhere besides trapped in her arms again. I just didn't know what Takuya saw in the _subeta_, if anything at all. Maybe what I thought to be signals of interest were just acts of…Takuya-ness. "Okay, so where is the nearest town?"

She turned and pointed off in the direction I had been lucky enough to choose to walk in. "That way a couple miles. It's where The Great Trailmon Race started. Bokomon and Neemon are waiting for us there…or at least Bokomon," she stated, sighing in regard to Neemon's own sense of what no one could truly call ignorance, but that was the closest word to whatever it really was.

"Okay, then, I nominate you to lead the way," I replied quickly without as much as a single shrug, gesturing to the nothingness lying before us. Sure, I could have easily made my way back on my own terms, but I seemed to have suddenly gotten on her good side for whatever reason and thus, didn't want to screw over an opportunity such as this. "And so get walking, Blondie."

She grinned, showing off all of her abnormally and probably unhealthily white teeth in the process. "C'mon, Kazuma! It would be a heck of a lot quicker to Spirit Evolve!" She pulled out her lavender-colored D-Tector. "Execute! Spirit Evolution!" After being enveloped in Fractal Code, the creepy fairy princess emerged. "Kazemon! Now Kazuma, it's your turn!" She giggled, an annoying sound that irritated the crap out of me to no end.

"Eh, no." I flexed my arms, making the gesticulation that I just didn't _want _to Spirit Evolve, not wanting to admit that I _couldn't_. No wonder people said I was stubborn, I was always looking for excuses not to Spirit Evolve. "Don't feel like it. Why waste the energy?"

This response of mine didn't seem to bother her one bit. "Okay, then!" She grabbed me around the waist and lifted me up much higher than my common sense would have preferred me going. "This is much better than walking, see? Look there's Takuya!" With one hand, she pointed down to a little speck moving along the tracks. The fact she only was holding onto me with one hand and little mind was bothering me more than it would a normal person. Because, I couldn't forget, this was _Zoe_.

Though nonetheless, I squinted down at what Kazemon had described as Takuya. "How the hell can you see down that far? That's so frickin' far down, I can't look away because of the trauma I'm experiencing right at this particular moment that is fulfilling most of the nightmares I've had since I met you!" I got that all out in one rapid-fire breath and afterwards let out a heck of a lot of a sigh. And since there was a substantial amount of truth in my words, I felt all of the color leave my face. This was primarily for the reason that I didn't trust Zoe as far as I could throw JP, of whom I didn't trust all that much, either.

Kazemon sighed in exasperation of my attitude towards her. "You try to be at least a little considerate to a guy and then off they go to rip your esteem apart like it means nothing to them…"

"It _does_ mean nothing to me," I retorted without a millisecond's hesitation. I decided to quickly change the subject before she got so annoyed with my sarcasm that she'd drop me those however many feet down to my bitter death. "Hey, uh, Zoe? I have a question." She looked at me as I continued, "Why exactly did you get all…happy and stuff? What happened to 'I hate your guts and just try to think of something worse than that' kind of attitude? What are you, bipolar?"

She merely scowled, keeping her eyes off of me and at the direction we were flying. "Every person, even those with the blackest of hearts, deserves a second chance." She then grinned, seemingly thinking back on something recent. "And besides, I got to take my anger out my throwing a hissy when my Trailmon crashed. That blew off some steam."

"I'm uh…happy for you?" I gave her a raised eyebrow and a baffled look on how I was really supposed to respond. I then saw a large town in the distance. "Hey, is that it right there? Oh, _Kamisama_, please tell me it is, 'cause I don't really feel like having to explain my situation after nailing someone in the head right now from falling barf." I looked at Kazemon, seeing if she caught the meaning behind my words. "That there was a hint: Wouldjya land already?"

* * *

Once we had gotten to the town, it was only a moment of time before the rest of the racers had come over the finish line. Takuya had claimed the prize, of which had been Trailmon tickets to some place called Hamburger Village (WTF is up with the name?). I had found myself tagging along, which was my intention in the original point of things, and got on the Trailmon, cutting myself away from the group by sitting on the opposite part of the car.

I looked over at the group just that small distance away, many thoughts entering my mind at different rates and of different attitudes. I didn't know what to make of them, which ones to believe, which ones to deny as paranoia. Things had become so confusing, so irrational that I wasn't sure what made sense any more, just like losing sense of up and down. It just throws off everything you put your faith in, all the things you believe and consider to be distinct truth and law, and switches it around completely, making everything that had seemed so impossible at one point just seem downright possible. But more than just possible. It made them seem likely.

I rested my face in my palms, digging through all of my worries and doubts. Takato had come into my mind almost immediately. I had been foolish to put all my reliance into him so quickly as to think he'd save me if I just happened to hit a rough patch. But then he was gone so suddenly, crushing all the thoughts I had of maybe someone else being there for me. He was an illusion, an apparition of someone that once was. And not only that, he was _Avaruusmon's _creation, someone made so that I fell into the exact situation that I was in at this moment. Lost for all rights and wrongs, not knowing even how to stand on my own feet any more.

This feeling was familiar to me, horribly familiar. It reminded me of Koichi. How hastily I held onto him, though knowing nothing about how this would all turn out, and then just like that he was gone, taken from my arms.

And it hurt me like a thousand shots to the chest to know I couldn't even bring myself to remember what he was like, only these little fragmented pieces that I made no sense of; it was like shattered glass, I was only meant to cut myself on it for my own thoughtless, immature desires and actions, no way to put it all back together and look through at things at the other side in bright clarity. I wanted to look through at my memories and smile, even though I knew the shards weren't going to reflect on something shining and wonderful, even though maybe I couldn't escape from my prison of everlasting misery, I could at least see what I once had.

Koichi.

_Nii-san_.

I let out a sigh, trying not to think of things of my past, focusing on the things I saw at that present moment. I couldn't help but feel a little bit of sorrow, having let all of my wonderings get to me. The way everyone had looked at me, it showed just how much of the angst I held they saw. I had seen my reflection in the train car window. My amethyst eyes were dull and held a very gray hue, my outwardly seen hair mangled in ways I cared not to fix, and my face pale with mixed feelings of gloom and airsickness. The way my skin looked flushed of all color except for a bed sheet white reminded me of darker times. Times when I'd stand out in the rain in Shibuya, watching and waiting for the apology that just never came, despite how many times I made the trip. The lack of shade in my skin reminded me of how many days I wasted standing in the cold, hoping that things could get better, even though I knew with outmost certainty that they wouldn't. It made me feel at fault for not changing things.

I felt a warm, almost comforting hand placed on my shoulder. I was tempted to feel relaxed by it. "You seem perplexed? Anything on your mind?"

I met clouded sapphire eyes and felt an affectionate, fuzzy feeling, but then shoved it away. No matter how much I didn't want to be right, it was so understandable. So irrevocably logical that it made me feel like such a moron to feel so blind, to feel so confused. My emotions were toying with me. I didn't know whether to push him away or bring him closer. _Koji…_

My voice came out cold and stiff, intoxicated for once not by Koji, but by my all of the stress and anxiety I had made for myself. "I'm fine." I laid my eyes straight forward, glaring at the wall opposite me. I had heard at this moment the rest of the group open up one of the car doors and shuffle out to another car, probably knowing a good sign to leave when they saw one. Or maybe Koji just made a really threatening look that I missed.

Koji returned the tone. "You don't look fine." He glanced away to make sure everyone was _really _gone and Takuya wasn't hiding under a bench or something. "Mirai, I know when something's up with you and this hard attitude is pretty good proof. I don't know what's going on, what _had _gone on, but I do know it's affecting you in some harmful way. And that's the part I don't like."

The way he worded everything, the way he gave the gesture that he didn't care, but through the time he has known me, I knew enough that he really did care. The rough exterior that enveloped him was only a façade that had grown over time. I couldn't find that to be fake. Yet maybe that's what I was supposed to think.

I tried to force a smile, but it could have been seen through by someone that didn't even know me. "I'm really fine. _Really_, Koji." I mentally answered his question, 'Nothing that _you_ could understand.' Instantly, my smile turned back into a sour scowl. I knew this would be a long, painful conversation.

His expression tightened into the face he always made when he was trying to prove his point on something. "Stop lying to me, Mirai! You and I both know that there's something wrong with you—" _Story of my life._ "—but only you know exactly what it is. And maybe if you tell me what it is, I can help you."

"You wouldn't understand, Koji!" I snapped suddenly, jumping to my feet and giving him a hard glare that I had never given anyone before. "It's like I don't know what's happening to me anymore! I'm so insecure, it just feels like I can't trust anyone. Even you, Koji, I can't bring myself to believe in you anymore." I found my face wetted of tears of the rejection I was forcing upon him.

He said nothing for a moment, his eyes softening into this hue that normally would have made me want to embrace him and never let him go. But that was since changed; all I wanted to do was be away from him, away from everything I let myself lay trust in. i wanted to sort out all this confusion, and figure out just what Avaruusmon _hasn't_ touched with her corrupted fingers, what was truly genuine.

"I find it too hard to believe that you're sincerely real, not some illusion just using me…" I admitted, wiping the tears off my face. "I'm just so susceptible to you, it's so difficult to think for a second that maybe this isn't going to hurt me in the end, leave me left for dead. To believe that you aren't just some deception created would be irrational. No one cares enough to even talk to me this much…" I trailed off, finding no words of which I couldn't use, but still having trouble arranging them so that maybe Koji—real or not—could understand.

"Where is this coming from? Mirai, I really want you to tell me if it's tearing you up so much inside. Do you know much it hurts everyone to see you like this?" He avoided saying how much he and only him cared enough about me to go through such measures as to interrogate me by saying it was a group, friendship kind of thing that involved everyone. If only he truly realized that I didn't do that kind of thing.

"Koji, I've seen it before—it's happened to be before. This _very day_ it's happened. I put my trust in something—some_one _—that let me down because I found out they weren't really existent, and actually _able_ to help me. Avaruusmon, she made an illusion and I fell for it! I felt so foolish for being so gullible! And maybe I just got really, really paranoid. But…I started wondering that maybe you…you…weren't real as well…" I hung my head, ashamed but still unwary that maybe, even though I had told him my thoughts, it was still highly possible that maybe I just doomed myself to giving my ideas up.

I saw in his face that he understood my words. He knew I regarded myself as unworthy to him, finding him in a much brighter light than my own murky gloom, and thus he knew that I had found it too good to be true that he actually found a place in his beautiful heart to actually care about someone like me. A no one.

"You're a much better person than you see yourself as," he said softly, putting more emotion and meaning in his voice than I had thought possible. "It's like…you want to be alone, but your heart knows you're not meant to be that way. I tried that before, thinking since everyone leaves, it's not worth bonding with them. And maybe that is true in some cases, but when you know something is real, don't doubt or question that knowledge, thinking maybe you could be making one big mistake, that it's all false pretenses."

I blinked slowly, making more tears escape and begin to stream down my already-dampened cheeks. "But I found that I can't even trust _myself_. I lie to myself, telling myself everything will be all right, even though it's really not, that maybe, if…if I make myself believe it, it actually _will be_…"

Koji stood up, taking a single step towards me. "That just means you want everything to be okay, you want things to turn out for the better. You just don't know how to act upon it and make that belief flourish. But you don't have to do things alone… That's why there's more than one Legendary Warrior. Even fate knows that not just one can solve the world's problems, it's through an unbreakable unity of trust…"

When he had tried to take another step, my anger suddenly flared. I outstretched my arm and gave him a hard blow to the cheek. He placed his hand upon it, looking at me with such surprise, an amount I didn't expect. I didn't know how I came to the instantaneous reaction to actually physically hurt him, but immediately, I felt the shame and guilt fill me, knowing that he was wrong to say I was a good person. I acted on first compulsion and let my rage take control of all my actions. These thoughts made me rip myself apart.

I bit my lip until it bled, bowing my head down so he couldn't see my face as I sobbed in silence. "I'm-I'm sorry, Koji-sama…"

He stepped forward so he was close enough that I could feel his breath blowing against my bare neck and put my face in his hands, lifting it so I could lay my eyes upon his flawless face and he could look into mine. He shook his head slowly, making his bangs sweep into his face. "Not sama…Koji_-kun_."

He then placed his lips upon mine, a warm, dreamy feeling commencing from that single touch. I found myself instantly drawn in, under the influence of his sweet aura, something more alluring than any physical aroma. The passion that he held under a single kiss was my drug, addicting, simply breath-taking put into new, fiery terms. The burning was a sensation that was renewed every time his lips touched mine, like a shiny toy that just never grew old.

_Gomen_ _nasai, Koji-kun. How could I think you weren't real? How could I think someone fake could do something so genuine?_

**There you have it! Oh, FYI, if you didn't understand that last little part, Mirai called Koji -sama because she was implying that he was of much higher rank than she, up to the point that she was lowly enough for him to be her master/lord. But when Koji gave himself the name of -kun, he meant that they were of the same rank and he was her friend. I just thought maybe that was a harder concept to figure out (it made sense in my mind, but that's not always good enough. You don't know what goes on in there), so decided to explain it.**

**Next up is the burger episode, baby~! I'm gonna have so much fun with that! Please R & R! Ciao! **


	21. Chapter 19

**Yay for the burger episode~! The most carefree episode for the next while, since the Dark Continent part is up next! The plot is gonna take it's course! Yes, I can't wait for that! Anyway, this is probably the most random chapter I've ever written. But it was totally worth the effort, holding the record of my longest chapter, twenty-six pages! YAY! *crickets churp* **

**Aaannnyway, this chapter contains a lot of crap. Six paragraphs inspired by three words spoken by Koji that don't even have anything to do with him, weird perverted thoughts, Taky begins to gain strange suspicions, Mirai makes a stack of burgers. Oh yeah, and singing. There's a lot of singing. But anyway, enough of my blabbing, enjoy my favorite chapter to write thus far~! **

* * *

Chapter 19

"So what's the story on this Hamburger Village?"

The rest of the group got the idea of coming back into the train car as soon as we broke apart. So, to prevent any assumptions of gayness or something, Koji got the bright idea of shoving me down on the floor and just smiling in such a way one would expect from Takuya. He then said, answering the weird look everyone gave us, "Hehe, it's that gravity again!"

Bokomon cleared his throat and said, "Anyway, Hamburger Village is a hamburger-lover's paradise, my boy." He seemed proud that he knew that little piece of information, for whatever reason that may have been.

Zoe grinned, clasping her hands together. "Sounds great!"

"Bring on the beef, bab-ay!" Takuya's liveliness was shown by the fact that his voice rose to a high-pitched squeak at the word baby, a pitch I couldn't remember him hitting ever before this very moment.

I jabbed Zoe in the leg from my position on the floor. "Told ya I wasn't the only person that can hit really high notes here," I taunted quietly, my voice growing a bit smug from what I found as an absolute need to tell her, which made her send me a rough glare. _There goes being on her good side. But either way, did I _expect_ it to last?_

JP balled his fists, grinning with his own type of determination. Or maybe determination just isn't the right word for this situation. "Yeah! I'm gonna eat my bodyweight—" _Hey, save some for the rest of us. _"—maybe even all of ours in burgers!" He put his hands upon his stomach and did a weird…thing with his mouth that I can't really begin to describe.

I crossed my legs and leaned my head back against one of the seats. "Dude, you make this too easy. Do you want to know how many responses I came up with for that?" I questioned rhetorically, tempted to use one of the acclaimed insults.

Takuya, who was sitting on the seat I was resting my head against, raised his hand to second my words. "Ooh, I got some too! Can I share them? Can I? Can I?"

Zoe gave him a death glare. "Takuya, be nice."

He gave her a 'duh!' kind of look. "Buddy, I _am_ being nice! You saw me raise my hand. If that's not courtesy of a true gentlemen, I don't know what is." He crossed his arms and gave an expression that looked like he felt well-accomplished.

"If you only knew how courteous you_ really_ were…" I mumbled more or less to myself, in accordance to his occasional 'it's all me, baby!' attitude.

"Thanks, Kaz! At least someone is on my side!" _Apparently_, Takuya had heard me and was thinking my words weren't at all sarcastic. That just proved how dumb he really was sometimes. Sometimes being twenty-five hours a day. Though I'm not really sure how he accomplishes that time span.

"That wasn't a compliment, Gogglehead." I didn't hesitate to roll my eyes with him watching. It just made it all the more entertaining.

"Oh…Hey!" _Now you get the picture? _"Do you want to start something, Kaz?" Now he was a bit pissed off. Wonder why.

I stood up and followed Koji out of the train, sighing. "No, don't feel like wasting my breath today…" I got off the platform of the Trailmon station, following the group through the rough, stinging of blowing dust and sand. I watched as I saw memories of a younger me as Takuya slipped his goggles over his eyes. Memories of the day of that kiss.

I shook the thoughts away by physically shaking my head and trudged through what came to seem like an old town you'd see in movies about the Old West. Except I didn't figure the Old West had light posts whose lights looked like burgers. I had never seen a single movie with that before, so I did more than doubt that that was highly irrational. _Though I'd be interesting to have a movie made in a town like this…_

We saw some Digimon sitting at a table and walked over there. There were about six little brown flying dudes with rather high voices (not as high as Takuya can get, of course), all about the size of softballs (it'd actually be amusing to hit them with a baseball bat), and there was a taller thing that seemed like it couldn't fly that had its head down on the table. When you think about it, it was actually a quite strange scene to witness.

"What's up with them?" Takuya questioned, lifting his goggles back onto their place on his hat since the gusting wind had suddenly stopped right when we got over there. _Kamisama _knows why it decided to do that.

Zoe ran up to them. "Um, excuse me, are you alright?" _Why do you think that you can solve everyone's problems for them? Maybe they need to do it on their own. Let them stand up and defend themselves until they _ask you_ for help._

"Oh no, dear. A giant Digimon raided our village!" The larger Digimon looked up, its looks making me assume that it was female. Her face was stained with tears. "It said something about the three moons making him hungry, so my husband gave him a big plate of our best burgers."

"Now _I'm _hungry," Takuya commented, a random comment that made me chuckle in my head. It just sounded so weird and unnecessary that it was almost amusing. One of the times you'd say 'didn't see that coming'.

The Digimon continued, ignoring Takuya's statement, "He liked them so much, that he took my husband away to cook for him in his mansion!" _Holy crap, he has to cook, something that he's been doing for a while apparently! I think I may have a heart attack!_

"Wow…" Was all that Tommy could say. He looked like he was going to burst out crying right then and there.

"Man, that's really messed up!" Koji stated, his hand resting against his hip in a rather defying way. He actually didn't really seem to care.

"Yeah," I agreed somewhat flatly. "It's not every day that someone is kidnapped and forced to do their own profession. Most of the time, they make them—" I remembered the young ears that were present. "—do things I probably shouldn't talk about while uh… "uneducated" minds are here." When I looked around to see if anyone had actually heard that, I noticed Tommy was staring at me, looking a little irritated that he was the one being implied here.

"Yeah, how we supposed to get our hamburgers now?" JP snapped, mad that he wasn't going to double his bodyweight that day to about five thousand pounds. I thought for sure that I saw smoke coming out of his ears.

"Your compassion is astounding," Bokomon responded sarcastically. That was probably what everyone was thinking at that moment.

"Daddy is coming back, isn't he Mama?" one of the flying dudes asked, then joined by the rest of them when asking, "Isn't he, Maaama?" They all gathered around their mother as she got up onto her feet.

She seemed to have some sort of solution in mind by her expression. "Please, young man, will you and your friends be able to help me find my husband?" _Of course, address Takuya. That shows just how well she knows him._

"I suppose," the gogglehead answered, seeming still unsure if it was really the best idea, which it probably wasn't, "but I wouldn't even know where to begin looking for him."

I eyed him. "Look for a big, conspicuous mansion. Besides, in a place like this, you'd _think_ a mansion would stand out. Or possibly, you could ask Jessie James." I received a look from the Warrior of Flame that asked, 'Jessie James? Where? Where?'

"The monster will bring Daddy back if we make a bigger burger," one flying dude said quickly.

"He means a better burger," the mother corrected glumly, seeming not to care whether or not her child got the info wrong. No one else seemed to really care, either, for that matter. It was just a stupid kid making a stupid mistake. Like Takuya agreeing to help them. "But I'm afraid that's impossible. My husband makes the best burgers around. There's no way _anyone_ could make a better hamburger than my husband. Oh dear, what are we going to do?"

"The monster said to get Daddy back we had to make a better burger ready before he moves three times!" one flying dude exclaimed. _Dude, I think that time probably already expired. Unless the one that made the threat was glued to the ground or something._

"No, silly! He said before the three moons align! That's soon!" another yelled at it. _Why do all things have to connect with the moon(s) in some, important way? Next thing you know, Koji will suddenly go into his Beast Spirit when there's a full moon and go berserker…That'd make for a good movie…_

"He's right. We must do something. The three moons will align by nightfall, and the Chamelemon will be back for their master's burger," the mother stated, seemingly dropped all confidence from her first two sentences to her last by a significant amount.

And here came one of the group's bright ideas we just seemed _so _famous for. "Then it's up to us!" Zoe suddenly exclaimed. _Oh crap._ "We can make a better burger!" When everyone gave her weird looks, she continued, "C'mon, I think we've scarfed enough burgers in our time to be able to come up with something that at least _looks _right. And when the Chamelemon take them to the mansion, we'll follow them." _Well, aren't you being Miss Smarty Pants today? Did you find a smarty _oshiri_ to put them onto yet?_

"Nice plan," JP complimented, being actually completely serious. Or at least he looked completely serious.

"Except that I've never cooked before…" Koji admitted, seemingly trying to find a way around that issue, ideas swirling around in that pretty little mind of his. When I locked his gaze with a look that said 'are you serious?', his face grew a little pink of embarrassment.

I gave him a light punch to the arm, trying to put on some fake enthusiasm, trying to make him feel good about himself. "C'mon, _buddy—_" That earned a hey-you-stole-my-word-you-stealer stare from Takuya. "—I'm sure the rest of the group sucks much more than you do! Because the fact that they all suck is an obvious fact that no one can deny!"

"What was that!" The entire group, aside from one confused Koji, gathered around and glared daggers at me, like they were a gang getting ready to beat me up and mug me or something. But with their expressions, I actually didn't doubt it. And the wondering of who actually snapped the 'what was that' didn't really come to mind, even though I had no clue who it really was.

I grinned cheesily, a smile usually only Takuya made when he just either broke something or was about to bend over and pants someone. "You gotta admit, no one sucks less than Koji."

"You must be having a really good day today," JP commented, causing everyone to turn and look at him with a substantial amount of confusion. "One, you're complimenting Koji—while insulting the rest of us, nonetheless—and two, you're smiling a lot more than normal…Did you come up with an evil plan to kill us and take over the world?"

I crossed my arms and eyed him with slight amusement. "If I said yes, would you run away and I'd never have to see you ever again? Because if that's the case, yes. Yes I have. And can Zoe run away, too? She's annoying me, as well. She keeps volunteering us for stuff. What are we, some town committee?"

Takuya cleared his throat. "_Annyway_, back to the current topic…I never cooked either, but I'm willing to try." He looked at Koji, who had a look that seemed to say, 'are you trying to speak to me or something?'

"Me, too," Tommy agreed, looking at the bird things. "Hey, I always used to watch my mom cook back home." He bent down to look at them even though he was already at eyelevel with them in the first place. He had his head craned forward like he was going to do this weird little walk with a head-bobbing-thing like a chicken does when it struts. "Don't worry, we'll make the best hamburger ever and get your Daddy back."

"I think—" I cut Zoe off before she could get to her topic of point.

"Did it hurt?" I questioned rhetorically, causing her to give me a look of sheer annoyance. I merely gave a half-smile that showed all—which was none—the care for her or her feelings and then said, "Okay, moment's over, go ahead."

She rolled my eyes at my immaturity and continued, "W_ell, _despite what Kazuma may or may not say, I think this will be a good experience for us." _Of course you do. To find something that you don't like that we don't either is simply impossible._

"Anything with food is a good experience for me!" JP exclaimed, smiling in such a way at Zoe like he was just going to walk over to her and take a bite out of her or something completely deranged like he was.

"Yeah, especially when it's burgers!" Tommy added when the bird-things had got bored and flown away from him. _The hat must have scared them off. It's like this giant…sofa pillow or something and he just conveniently decided to plop it onto his head._

"I bet this group couldn't go an hour without the mentioning of food, hunger, or cooking. It's like no one here has a life beyond the next meal of the day," I mumbled, mentally adding ''Cept Koji, he's got more important priorities. He's the one in this lot with the highest chance to be the reason the world actually gets saved in the end. While he's off being all spiffy and butt-kickingly awesome, everyone else will be here, sitting around at the dinner table and saying, 'Hey, get off your stupid _oshiri_ and pass me the dang pepper!'"

"I don't even know what's in them—" _In what? Are you talking perverted again, Takuya? _"I guess I'll have to make it up." _Oh my _Kamisama_, Takuya? Stop talking about—oh wait, he's talking about the burgers. That just made me feel really dumb. And…awkward._

"That's the whole idea. We can each make one and have judges taste 'em!" Tommy blurted, getting really excited about this whole concept that we have to save someone's life by doing something that we all really suck at. _Yeah sure, Tommy, that's the spirit! Be happy about our low chances of saving the burger-guy! Everybody say yay!...boo._

"Takuya, this will be a friendly competition, right?" Zoe questioned, sending a glare right the gogglehead's way. _Why does it need to be a competition at all? What's so difficult about the concept of making burgers without a 'ready, set, go'? Honestly, Blondie gives everyone way too little credit. _

Takuya stifled a laugh. "You worry too much, Zoe," he stated, looking at the Warrior of Wind like she was the dumbest person on earth, which she actually had a good chance of being. Or at least the most pathetic.

"Yeah, no problem," Koji agreed, standing by the Warrior of Flame's side, smiling in a rather charming demeanor. It was this side of the wolf-boy that he had to show more often. And by the way this day was going so far, it seemed like he was going to become a lot more open under circumstance. It maybe just the fact of working with burgers, but his smile—when he smiled like _that_—was complete and irrevocably genuine.

But this thought made my heart sink a bit when I had come to the word genuine. To note that it indeed had been a very long day, in a sense feeling more like many years stretched and molded into a single period of daylight. And the fact that it was only mid-afternoon made it almost unbelievable. Time was messing with me, everything felt like it was going slower than normal. Maybe it was because my D-Tector was taken by Avaruusmon, and that just put me out of whack for whatever reason. Maybe she did something with it she shouldn't have, something I knew not that it did. Or maybe this was just me being totally paranoid.

But nonetheless, just hitting the word genuine held more significance than I wished it had. I had caused that significance, for my own thoughtlessness and stupidity. If I could go back to change it, I really would have. I never would have made that thoughtless suspicion about Koji, one that I knew would cause cuts and bruises. It drove me to the extent of physical harm, something I promised myself I'd never lead to. But then again, I promised myself I would never fight with the Warrior of Light in the process. _Yeah, some friend I am…_

I still found myself in disbelief that I had convinced myself of my own lie that I had managed to conjure up so quickly. I assumed that had been Avaruusmon's whole idea, the _subeta_ always found my weak spot, despite every method I tried. How she knew me so well is one thing that bothered me. She found a way that almost tore me away from Koji. And I didn't really want to think of what would have happened afterwards, if I would have actually cut myself away. Because he was the only one that actually connected me with the rest of the group, I couldn't stand the rest of them worth _kuso_. I probably would have died, to be completely honest. Inside and out. I had no Spirit, no physical protection. But then I had nothing to comfort me from that feeling of betrayal I would have felt. I would have crushed myself under the pressure of my own worries and convinced myself that there was no reason to be alive, and thus, let myself grow weak under the conditions that hailed upon me.

All of this was caused by a single spark. But after all, that's how it all started in the first place. A single little instantaneous spark can make an entire forest set ablaze and burn to nothing but black cinders. That's what got me here. The smallest spark of expectation that maybe I could find something I could be known for, something that would get me out of the shadow of Yukio, just _something _that made me feel better about myself than I had before.

I had no real idea why I was so angry. I knew the reason behind my family issues, that was the easy part. Dad was always gone and even when he was home anyway, he never really paid much mind to me. He had always seemed to have other priorities when he was home, things that just never really included me. And then my problem with Yukio was even simpler. Despite how much higher my IQ was than his, he had been the one to find more favor with Mom and Dad. I always got the hand-me-downs, he got the new stuff. He had more friends than I, more popular than me even in my best of moments. And that made me hate his guts. It felt like the more he got, the more bigheaded he got, the more I detested him. I didn't mind this envy. It made me feel content inside, a satisfying feeling, though painful to bear straightforward, it gave me this substantial amount of comfort. It seemed to give me power to do things I was always afraid to do before, things my conscience once said was totally wrong and now said to go for head-on. And this is what I loved.

This new insight and view I developed had opened my eyes to so many possibilities, but it never truly satisfied me. I always found myself looking for more than things that Yukio didn't have, things that never really turned out to be as good as I had thought. After a mental struggle with myself, a fight for the answers I just wasn't receiving, I soon came to the conclusion I just didn't like my life as it was. I wanted some sort of far-reaching change. And when the day rolled around, the day that Yukio received that message from Ophanimon, I knew opportunity had arose. My mind had worked faster than I could actually comprehend, I was just focused on this single chance that I knew I had to grab with both hands to make it work. And thus, it brought me to this very moment, weeks later. I had never for a second considered what could have happened if I hadn't come here. The spark had always been made contact and ignited.

"Hey, Kaz, find a cavern in your head that you've never seen before? Explore it later! C'mon!" Takuya snapped me out of my thoughts with his words. He then grabbed me by the shoulders and veered me into the building we were standing by. "I'm not letting ya get out of this just because you dozed off, buddy!"

"I _didn't_ doze off, Takuya," I retaliated, crossing my arms, allowing him to push me into a building of which had the setup of a kitchen. In truth, I technically _did_ doze off, but I refused to give the gogglehead the ultimate satisfaction of being right about something. "I can safely say that I was just deep in intense thought."

"Sure you were, buddy. C'mon, we're gonna have a blast making burgers today! What do you think makes a good burger?" he questioned, steering me over to a counter that I can seriously claim was totally covered with food.

"Uh, beef, ketchup, mustard, and pickles, all on one of those circular buns?" I responded unsurely, naming off everything that was in the classic burger you could buy at McDonald's. "And for those weird people, onions, lettuce, and tomatoes?"

He suddenly erupted in laughter, surprising the _kuso_ out of me. His loud cackling deafened me in one ear, the one that was closest to his mouth. "That's a good one, Kaz! Who puts that stuff in a burger?"

"Uh…most of the world?" I raised a perplexed eyebrow at his latest statement. Even he couldn't deny that's what was on a burger, I'd seen him eat one with all that on there before. And then all the while, he was ranting on how it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. I can remember clearly that that had turned out to be an interesting day. "Give you a little plastic toy and French fries with it, and I'm pretty sure they define it as a Happy Meal."

He seemed to ignore my last statement, bringing his hand up to his chin while eyeing the food Koji was walking away with. "Well, I guess you could never have too much meat…" he concluded, seemingly plotting to steal all of the seafood that was on Koji's platter.

I noticed his little amount of staring. "Don't even think about it, Takuya. If you're plotting to mess with Koji's food—" He cut me off quickly, giving me a suspicious stare.

"What is the deal between you and Koji?" he pried, probably getting to a topic a lot of people were wondering about up until this point. He went into thought, looking back and forth between me and the busy Warrior of Light. "He kinda looks like a girl…" His voice suddenly became rather loud. "Is he a chick in disguise? Did you get him—_her_ pregnant?"

I facepalmed, shaking my head and letting out a groan, as Koji (having heard that last bit) stomped over, enraged by Takuya's deduction. "Why the hell would you think that?" His face became red with fury, looking like he wanted to tear the gogglehead into many little pieces. But then again, I did too, for that very matter.

"Yeah, Takuya! Only your twisted mind could think of that!" I bit my tongue from cussing more that one would think possible for someone for my age and size. They'd probably wonder where I got all that air from and where I stored it all, 'cause I'd be going for a while.

Takuya threw up his arms. "Well, you never know! And you gotta admit, put Koji's hair down, and you could think he's just a tomboyish chick!"

"Dude, you were in the same dressing room as him at the Toucan Paradise!" I gave him a hard whack over the head. "Think for once! Haven't you ever just thought we're just friends?" I eyed him, in my gaze saying, _You really are a moron, aren't you?_

He rubbed his head, looking at me warily for the possibility that I may decide to hit him again. "Okay, okay…" He then suddenly asked, "Gay?"

I crossed my arms, trying so hard not to beat him into the pulp I have wanted to for the past while. "That's a question for Tommy." I glanced over at the big-hat-wearing kid off on the other side of the room and found myself shuddering. In my mind I was asking Shorty, _What the hell do you do in your spare time? _

At this particular moment, I saw him talking to the little flying dudes with a bun in his hands. Just the way he was holding it looked gay. I then turned back to Takuya and just said, "You know what? You're causing me too much irritation for what you're worth, so just go and put whatever you want in that burger that you think won't poison anyone…"

He looked suddenly very excited that I had said that. A grin the size of Mississippi wouldn't compare to the size of his. He grabbed a big platter and a slice of meat. "All right! Meaty meat burger!" he exclaimed, darting over to a counter and throwing some more meat on, "Some of this!" In a flash, he was over to a different one, tossing some onions on (literally), "Ha-ha! Maybe some of that! And I'm gonna make me a MASTERPIECE!" He crept over to the other side of the room, his voice in this weird grunt, "Meat, meat, meat!"

I looked at Koji. "You're not gonna do that with all that seafood, are you? Ya know, run around and be obsessive over it?" I gave him squinty, suspicious eyes. Because, quite frankly, I could see him quite well running around, shouting, 'I love you, Fishies! I loved-ed yoouu!' Though the mental picture kinda scared me.

"Do you want me to?" Koji gave me a smirk that said that he wouldn't do it even if I paid him to. But that was expected. It's not like he was the type to do anything at a single word. He actually thought about what he was doing before he did it.

I shrugged indifferently, a feeling of not caring less either way coming over me. But there still was that substantial amount of curiosity that kinda bubbled within me. Though over time, it had been easy to contain. "It'd be interesting…" I crossed my arms, watching the Warrior of Light as he went back to cooking whatever he planned to make.

I closed my eyes and leaned my back against the wall. I had nothing really all that much better to do than think, and since so much had occurred that day, there was plenty of food for thought (I know, that was a lame pun) available to me. I bit my lip, mental images filling my head in reference to all that Avaruusmon had told me. By the way she spoke of things to come, it seemed to me she had it all planned out. She had my last day marked on her calendar and the alarm clock set, all ready for the very moment she would take me out.

I had realized I was actually truly afraid of Avaruusmon. She held the cards to my destruction; I was always one card short. It was only a matter of time—her decision completely—until I would wiped out of all I held dear, I would take my final breath. It didn't matter what I did, she had full control of my fate. She had my D-Tector, the only slight chance I had of survival, and would probably use it against me just to show how weak I was. I would detest her, and she wouldn't be at all fazed by such emotions as mine. Actually, I'd assume she'd find amusement out of it, knowing that I was totally terrified of her and there was nothing I could possibly do to change my fate.

"Hey, Kaz, you can cook, right?"

I snapped out of my deep thought and looked up. Takuya was making the hamburger patties by morphing their shape in his hands. He was making all these 'hi-ya!' ninja-karate-martial arts noises like that somehow affected something as he looked up at me, grinning, "Easy as pie!" The meat broke apart and slipped through his fingers, some splattering on the floor. "Hehe, oops. Hey, Kaz, how do you give the burger patty more firmness?"

I ignored him as I looked over at Koji, who was laughing for whatever reason that was apparently humorous to him. He was holding a squid in his hands (not a live one, you moron! I know what you were thinking!) while smirking. His laughter was slightly contagious, making me laugh lightly to myself, quiet enough that no one else could possibly hear. But then, much to my amusement, he kinda managed to…uh…pull the top off of it.

"Koji, did you mean to do that?" I questioned, letting out another small laugh. Crossing my arms, I gave him a disbelieving gaze to match his that said 'yeah, of course'. I changed my look and gave him a defying stare, cocking my head to the side. Before he could get his words out, I cut him off, saying, "Just make your burgers, Minamoto."

* * *

In a little while, after Takuya practically burned down the building, all of the burgers were ready and laid out upon a table. I didn't know whether to say the aroma wafting from off of them was either alluring or to be the death of me. Because, quite frankly, I couldn't tell which smell came from where, and if it was even from the burgers.

"Kaz, I nominate you to go first!" Takuya exclaimed, slapping me on the back for what could have been for the millionth time since we got into the stupid world. And even more before then. I was surprised I didn't have back problems.

"Okay, I'm just about ninety-nine percent sure that I saw something move in one of them and then mold actually beginning to grow before my eyes on another," I stated in a grumble. I pointed to the one at the farthest left. "What's in this one?"

JP held one of his burgers up high, like he was attempting to show it to someone that's hooked to the ceiling or something. "Meatloaf! And—" _I have no idea what he just said._ "—noodles! Ladies and gentlemen, an exotic combination for a new generation!"

"I just asked for the ingredients, not a stupid infomercial. Sheesh…" I picked up one of his burgers. "To be honest, it looks like there's huge brown worms in here. Are you sure you put those whatchya-ma-call-it noodles in here?" I ignored his glare and took a bite. I wasn't a big fan of meatloaf, personally, and the fact that JP was the one that made it didn't make it all better. I took another bite, and holding it in my hand, walked to the next one in silence.

"Hey, no comment or anything? Not even one of your trademark insults, Kaz?"

I turned back slightly. "You think I make my decision right away? I'm still holding the burger, aren't I?" And thus, I walked over to the next burger, of which was made by Zoe.

"Here, try my burger Italiano with cheese, tomato sauce, and lots of fresh-chopped mushrooms!" she exclaimed, holding it out to me with a smile on her face that said, 'I'm gonna poison you! Muhahahaa!'

But I went against my gut feeling that said to get away and took it from her. When she tried to talk some more, I held up my index finger and made a 'indibita,' kind of noise, a signal for her to shut up, and continued, "I'm not done yet!" I took out a chunk of it and chewed slowly. I instantly hit the taste of the mushrooms and spit it out in a flurry of half-chewed food. "Ugh! I can't even stomach that! I've had chicken crap in between my toes and was rained on by cow _kuso_, but neither compares to _THAT_!" **[Both things have actually happened to me. (Disadvantages of being in a family of farmers) And yes, I hate mushrooms.]**

She glared at me fierce daggers as I laid her burger on top of JP's upon my hand and walked on. It was then I realized I had forgotten to taste Tommy's burger, but I shrugged mentally and decided to get his at the very end. Next up was Takuya's, of which seemed to be substantially larger than everyone else's, filled with a ton of meat. I looked at it, trying to figure out just what all he put in there and which of my favorite meats he decided to conveniently leave out.

"Okay, _buddy_, what didjya put in this monstrosity?" I lifted the top bun off to get a better whiff of what I was about to be poisoned by. "You didn't go out and kill an innocent squirrel to put in here, right?" My gaze changed from being on the erm, dare I say burger? to the gogglehead standing proudly on the other side of the table.

"Nope. Mine's the meaty meat burger. Steak, pork, cutlet, and ground beef! I was going for volume," Takuya stated, placing his hands on his hips and beaming like he was the richest moron on the face of the earth. But I knew he wasn't, since he always complained he was broke and needed lunch money from me.

"Obviously." I picked it up and bit off a chunk, chewing it quickly and swallowing. I shrugged, it actually tasting not half bad to me, despite my earlier predictions of death and the will I was thinking up while walking over. And like the others, I placed it upon Zoe's, on my growing tower of burgers placed upon my hand. "What's that other flavor though?"

"Oh yeah! I also topped it all off with sardines and some peanut butter!" He practically blinded me with that bright grin, all of his pride and confidence shining through brighter than a spot light with a million LED lights.

I then walked on to Koji and his burgers, of which I could see a crab pincher-thingy sticking out of. He had this little, pleasant smile on his face. I returned the smile as I asked, "What do ya got for me, Ji-jers?" My smile grew as I morphed his dubbed nickname JiJi into something totally playful. And actually slightly strange.

"My deep sea burger has lobster, scallops, and shrimp!" he answered, showing a little bit of his own pride with his creation in his gleeful tone. "And my special sauce is made with puréed squid and white chocolate!"

I shrugged, figuring that since it was Koji, he wouldn't purposely try to kill me. Or at least I hoped he'd give me some sort of warning first. But maybe telling me what was in his burger was his warning. So I grabbed a burger and stuffed a portion between my lips. I let the taste settle for a moment, a debate going on that determined whether or not I actually liked it or not. Taking another bite, since I really couldn't decide, I walked back over to the first table to test Tommy's burger and set Koji's burger upon Takuya's. I had a cute little stack made already.

"Okay, you little gay pervert…" I mumbled in a tone that no one heard. Or at least I hoped no one did. "What are you going to make me sick to the stomach with this time?" But to his face, I asked, "Okay, Shortie, whatchya gonna poison me with today?"

"Well, I don't know exactly what to call it. I kinda just accidently mixed a bunch of stuff together…" His face turned red with embarrassment in his unbeatable klutziness. "So I don't know whether or not it's even gonna taste good…"

"Don't worry, Kid. Worse comes to worse, instead of upchucking on your burgers, I'll do it in your giant hat." He didn't seem all that relieved, but I understood why, since that was the exact definition of sarcasm. So in my one free hand (I didn't want to knock down my mini Tower of Babel, now do I?), I took up a burger and took a bite of it. I could honestly say I was nervous, since the homo didn't even know what was even in this stupid thing. "Well, I can safely say, it's better than a piece of cow _kuso_, so rejoice." My voice came out monotonous as I added his burger to the stack.

"My boy, Kazuma, may I ask you two questions of distinct importance?" I looked over at Bokomon, who was standing with Neemon by Koji and Takuya's table. I gave a small nod for him to continue. "One, why do you have all your burgers one on top of another?"

"He's practicing a balancing trick for the circus!" Neemon answered enthusiastically. "I love the dancing bears!" *SNAP!* "Oh-hoo…!" *collapse*

I put my free hand into my pocket. "So I can save 'em for later and decide which one I like best. And I can compare them by looking just up and down." Bokomon noticed the smile on my face and knew I was just messing with him. "Anyway, next question?"

The radish seemed to forget his next question momentarily. Or maybe it was just a tension-builder. "…Oh yes, how could you eat their burgers and not die?" At this moment, he lost all of the Bokomon-ness I knew him to have, the ever-constant wisdom I thought he held with zero moments of un-seriousness. Guess not.

I gave a shrug that showed I hardly knew the answer myself. "Takuya's wasn't actually that bad, and then Koji's…I'm not sure if I actually like it or not. It's sorta…neutral, neither acid nor base, so to say." I cocked my head to one side as if that would actually help me figure out what was going through his head at that moment in accordance to my words.

"Which one do you like better?" Takuya interrogated, eyeing me with a look that had I-know-you-think-mine's-better-cuz-I'm-just-that-awesome written all over it. His beaming was bigger than his burger. Big enough he could engulf it all in one bite. "Out of mine and Koji's, which one is the better burger?" His tone was confident and smug.

I hid my grin, knowing this could prove to be somewhat interesting. "I don't know, Takuya. Koji may have you beat. His _is_ quite unique. After all, he combined fast food and sushi." I saw Koji's dominate expression. "But don't get too overconfident, Koji. Maybe you guys should check your burgers…just in case."

They both picked up one of their burgers and shoved it in their mouths. But then, for a way of double-checking, they practically thrust them down each others' throats. But then their expressions, ones that made me almost believe that they had indeed cast death upon each other with a horrible toxin, caused me to deride at them with a substantial amount of hilarity.

"You guys are incorrigible!" I laughed, learning at that very moment that I actually knew a word that big. "Let me know if there's anything else that you vie against." I took the top burger off my pile and began to eat it. I didn't even bother to remember whose was whose.

"Hey, guys, we're going out to eat Tommy's burgers!" Zoe flagged us down, but aside from me, no one really seemed to notice, since JP and Tommy were already out the door, and Takuya and Koji were busy being poisoned. But even though I had heard her calling, I ignored it, since I was getting way too much enjoyment out of the on-going scene.

"If we cared, we would have came, wouldn't we?" I retaliated, sorting through my tower of burgers and finding Takuya's meaty meat burger, taking a bite out of it. Who knew a moron such as he could make such a good burger? Quite frankly, I found delight in it enough to go to one of the many counters in the building and start dissecting it in order to figure out what all the ingredients were. With a little piece of paper, I copied down what I remembered him saying and everything else I saw. This was something I had to save so I could make it back when I got to the real world. I could make millions...

When I flipped the paper over, I realized that I had already written something on it. I smirked lightly at the realization of what it was. A song I had begun to write. I couldn't remember when or why, but I knew I had scribbled it down after I had arrived in this world. So, finding my work incomplete, I had continued to write it all down as it came to me. I wasn't much of a writer myself, but I knew significance when I saw it. Although it didn't mean I remembered it. But nonetheless, I found myself finding a melody within my own mind and mixing it with the lyrics before me,

"Time after time, I find myself trippin' and fallin', damaged 'til I'm crawlin'. Yeah, I thought there was no point, no real reason to even care…

"When I see my mistakes all written out for me, I look away from you face. I try to deny, try to plead my case, but now I see…you're all I see…

"When the stars bring to light the whole night sky…I'm reminded of our intertwining fate, and all the love you radiate…

"But when I see the stains upon me, tainting and blemishing, I can't find myself able to turn away from all my wrongs and all I contemplate…!

"I will run for my future, hoping for tomorrow to somehow redeem myself. I know the rain will cease, the sun will shine…I'll smile and look into your eyes…"

I laughed to myself, noting how horribly written and short the song was. I now knew that song-writing was indeed not my forte. That was the primary reason why I stuck to songs written by actual bands and singers. I, as I figured out, wasn't very good at writing songs. _I'll just hang with singing songs that are already written by professionals and save myself the self-humiliation…Ugh, maybe I need a new hobby altogether…_

I shoved the paper back into my pocket where it had been originally, deciding I had enough ingredients written down to get the recipe at least vaguely correct, and walked back over to Koji and Takuya, who scowled at everyone's exit out of the room.

They both grumbled simultaneously to express their seemingly endless annoyance. "It wasn't that bad. Mine was better…" But then, they realized they both had said the exact same thing and sent each other fierce death glares, daggers that seemed to have been sharpened by their constant rivalry, that would have made JP and Tommy wet themselves.

"What are you talkin' about, Takuya?" Koji questioned, looking both surprised and angry at the same time. Sometimes, that's just not healthy. And it was then at his statement that I realized he had something on his face. "Yours was horrible!"

"At least mine was edible! Yours even smells bad!" Takuya retorted back, making me notice that him, too, had something on his face as well. "You just about killed Bokomon and Neemon! And did you _see_ that look on Kaz's face? I think he was going to lose it! Right, Kaz?" He looked at me, looking for instant support.

I just stood there dumbly with my eyes wide like Frisbees. A bomb could have gone off and I wouldn't have noticed. Hell, even if I did have enough luck as to notice, I wouldn't have given a single sign of even giving a _kuso_. "Uhh…"

"Maybe we should have a rematch, then!" Koji yelled, flying off the handle and blowing the whole situation out of proportion. _Who knew the level-headed lone wolf had it in 'em? Deep down, he was just waiting to blow his top…_

"Fine, anytime!" The Warrior of Flame turned away and began to stomp off. "You'll lo-o-o-ose!" He stifled an evil laugh, and I knew he wanted to follow through really bad. That was just typical for when he got like this.

"Yeah right! In your dreams, Botulism Boy!" Koji did as Takuya had just mere milliseconds before and turned away, trekking off to make a better burger than the gogglehead could possibly think of.

Koji, at this particular moment of time, perplexed me. How he, the lone wolf of the group (ironic about the Spirit, huh?)—the only one remotely sane in this entire little dare I say team of Warriors here could be so…carefree and light at other times, times where I would normally expect him to say something about being on guard because Cherubimon's moronic henchmen could attack at any given moment. This light-hearted side of him was something that made me believe that maybe through all my mistakes and darkness that I could be like that too. _If I could only remember why it's all this way in the first place…_

I merely shrugged, figuring that this wasn't the best time to get moody and deep in thought, since this was one of the few moments that I could really see Koji as he truly was. So I decided to live in the moment and for once have a good time. Though I figured that it wasn't the best idea to actually say that Takuya's burger was actually a little better…_Which reminds me…where did those burgers go that I was saving?_ I looked around the room for my missing fast food. I saw them almost instantly, and at my running to them, took a chunk out of one. But then, to my dismay, realized it was it was none other than Zoe's creation.

So in my outmost disgust, chucked the burger to the other side of the room. But to lighten the mood, it nailed Koji in the back of the head. He turned and sent me a glare, only for me to send him a cheesy smile back with the addition of a small hey-how-ya-doing-that-was-so-not-my-fault-so-don't-blame-me kind of wave. And then I called, stating the absolutely obvious, "Kooooji, you kinda have something on your heeeaaad!"

I walked over and pulled his bandana off his head, smiling like nothing had happened that had anything to do with me. "Here. I'll get that all clean for ya," I stated, even though there actually wasn't anything on his bandana to begin with. But then I laughed, pulling a chunk of mushroom out of his hair, "Are you gonna eat this?" Awaiting no response, I threw it back behind me. And, using this chance I had with having my hand up by his ponytail, I wrapped my index finger around it absentmindedly. His hair was very silky and soft, as I had always assumed it was. It was nice to touch it, but I couldn't imagine actually _having_ hair that nice.

He gave me a 'what the hell are you doing?' look. "May I ask?" he questioned, eyeing me warily.

I let out a chuckle acting as if I hadn't disrupted the rule of personal space, unwinding my finger from his ponytail and beginning to tie his bandana around my wrist. "Sorry, it just looked really pretty." He then turned away and groaned in slight annoyance. I took a moment to try to see his face, but couldn't, so just looked at his shiny, sleek hair. "Ya know, I can't see your face, but your ponytail looks very happy!"

He turned back around, this time with a small smile on his face, but still his confusion was obvious. "That's officially the weirdest thing you've ever said. And—" He paused, noticing me busy tying his bandana to my wrist. "Uh…what are you doing?"

I gave a brief glance up before returning back to my work and replying rather simply, "Taking your bandana."

He raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Yeah, that I can see that. May I ask when I'll get it back?"

I gave a light laugh. "When you forget I have it."

He then suddenly made a small, sweet smile come upon his face. "If you get my bandana, then what to do I get?"

I knew exactly how to answer. "You get to deal with my bright and cheery personality." And then I added, putting a sly grin on my face, "And my substantial amount of lying." I turned around, looking out the window to the dark world outside, and began to head out the backdoor. "I'm heading out for some air. Be back…eventually." I turned the doorknob and dismissed myself out into the moonlit scenery of nature.

The three moons had aligned, a shining mixture of color. And combined with the radiance of the twinkling stars, the night had been bright enough to see in distinct detail. The wind blew gently, rustling my still-growing-even-longer bangs into my eyes, of which were transfixed onto the hill nearby that I had begun walking over to. Waves of the blowing grass gave the illusion I was treading through water, and the thought made a small twinge flow up my spine. _Water…the ocean…._ I had caused my own fear; my own lie turning to be true. _Gah, stupid irony._

I stopped atop the small hill, an open area away from all the trees, and providing the perfect place to just gaze upward to the heavens above. The warmth of the nice day remained as a warm, tender feeling, the heat catching on the breeze and stroking my face. Looking up at the small, glowing celestial bodies floating above me, they began to create shapes with the assistance of the figments of my growing interest and imagination. Faces and figures, things of my life back home. When it was empty, all of it was of things horrid.

I couldn't remember when I felt whole, when my life was actually fulfilling to a contentment that fully gave me an unmatchable satisfaction. I could remember that instance with Takuya, that day he first got the goggles he had to this day, the day he got the classification of 'gogglehead'. I could still feel the pulsating of my heart sending its vibe throughout my being. I could feel the warmth of the day, a likeness of today with remarkable similarities. And the memory that remained in my mind; I could still feel the vibrancy of such a small touch on my cheek. Something so unexpected, so…break-taking. Yet, I found much more feeling behind that same touch from Koji. And still, nothing held the same meaning of the first. I'd never have a _First Kiss_ ever again…

But that still didn't really help me or my unrelieved desires. A face I saw woven within the stars, one I only could imagine was familiar. I had no assurance, only the assurance that this is what I _wanted_ the face to look like, designed based on how I wanted it. _Sweet, shining eyes…beautiful caring smile… golden auburn hair….just as mine once was…_

I really wanted to remember, but as far as I could possibly know, I may not actually receive these wishes of memory. Although visions were returning to me, it had been so long since my last Memory Aura vision. I just wanted to see what he was like.

My _nii-san_.

My Koichi.

"C'mon, start running now, to a place that's not on maps. Things to be afraid of, there are none.

"Only courage can be put into a little chest. In the rain, I'm alone. The insides of my pockets are empty, but I'm only looking forward.

"Open the unknown door to the other side of the world. Advance, advance. I'm not lost anymore.

"C'mon, start running now, to a place that's not on maps. Things to be afraid of, there are none. Because it's only the now that can create tomorrow. Take off, my faraway tomorrow.

"From the valley of buildings, the wind blows through on a night when even stars disappeared. My clenched hands are trembling, but I'm looking up at the sky.

"In the flowing time, to the things I truly want hold on, hold, unhesitatingly.

"The day when the clear brilliance will envelope me will come, because surely, surely, I'll be able to change.

"C'mon, start running now, on this path that I choose. Not something that looks like it, I wouldn't want that. Since only I can create the future, wake up my new tomorrow.

"Start running now, on this path that I choose. Not something that looks like it, I wouldn't want that. Since only I can create the future, wake up my new tomorrow."

Finishing my song, I fingered Koji's bandana around my wrist, a mindless comfort. My mind was swimming with various things, but through it, I found my thoughts residing upon one person, someone who had never crossed my mind since my hair was turned black. I don't know why she happened to cross my mind, just a weird in-the-moment kind of notion. Karin.

Back then, she was almost what could have been considered my archenemy, my foe above all foes. We were complete opposites: She was popular, pretty, and prissy (what I classify as the 3 P's). And I, on the other hand, was not. We had found each other to be hard rivals, making life for each other hell as often as we could possibly muster. We never really tried to get along, there was just always something about the _subeta_ that kinda brought out the worst in me, some little characteristic that made me want to throw her off a cliff. And that something: Everything about her.

There was always something that bothered me then. And when I had come to this thought, it began to nag on me. Karin has this little…thing about her that really made my anger and jealousy tick out of control. She had a way with guys. She'd have this method of either flirting with a guy and then swooning for _Kamisama _knows how long, or just find a way to spill a drink down the front of her fairly thin shirt.

Methods like that made me debate whether I wanted to get a chance to screw up that perfectly proportioned—and fake—face (that's right, she was spoiled, rich, and got plastic surg.), or just go and find a rock to crawl under and manage to crush myself under. I would have easily preferred the first, but there were indeed times that I wanted to just go and shoot myself.

I felt a memory visualizing in my mind, but I instantly shoved it away. I didn't want to work myself up over someone who wasn't a part of my life anymore. It just really wasn't worth it. _But she affected someone who still is… She never ceased to be annoying when she was there flirting with him…I refuse to forgive her… things could have been different, maybe I wouldn't have even needed to change schools. Gah, stupid _subeta_… you've made my life hell…_

I brought my fist down on the ground beside me, letting out a little bit of stored anger. I figured I should get off this topic of thought, since this was a night I told myself I would enjoy. Though the little window of the building, I could see Koji and Takuya hard at work making burgers. They stopped to eye each other up in a determined glare, before flashing around and returning to their work. They seemed completely absorbed in their work. I assumed that if I threw more burgers at them and nailed them in the head, they wouldn't even notice.

I looked down at Koji's bandana. I wondered what kind of significance it held for him. I tried to imagine where he got it, when he got it, why he got it. I could imagine a tiny, big-eyed Koji walking around with a bandana too large for his head, his ponytail not yet grown out and still just a little bitty tail that stuck out only inches from his head. I smiled at the mental picture, not hesitating to let out a little 'aww' kind of sound in the process._ Maybe he has a childhood picture of himself somewhere…I should talk to him about that…_

I got up and peered through the door into the kitchen of which they were working. I walked in casually, grabbed Koji by the arm, and said, "I need to borrow Koji for a moment." I gave Takuya a cheesy, I-am-not-gay smile, making sure he got the message I was projecting to him, and all he did was shrug and sigh. I figured I wouldn't be able to change his mind. This is namely because he was the stubborn hothead he's always been known as Takuya Kanbara.

"What's this about? Planning to steal more of my clothing?" Koji questioned once we got out and a safe distance from the building. I could tell he was just teasing with that second question. But I could expect that much.

I made a deep-in-thought-you-just-might-have-stumbled-onto-something 'hmm' noise as we again made our way to the hill. "Not a bad idea," I mumbled, secretly plotting for another article of clothing. "Actually, Koji, I wanted to ask you a question. But if it's out of place or personal or anything, you don't have to answer."

Koji eyed me suspiciously, wondering just what this is really about. It was one of the only times I just up and asked him a question (or it quite possibly could have been the first; I couldn't really remember). "Ask away," he responded, though seemingly still unsure what he was getting himself into at this particular moment.

I again glanced down at the bandana around my wrist as we sat down in the grass atop the hill. "What's the story behind the bandana?" I asked, getting the notion I was going into unmarked territory by bringing something up such as this. I decided to tread lightly, and if things got too personal, cut the discussion short and let him go on his merry way.

His face dropped down to look at his lap at my words. He bit his lip, pondering for some time before clenching his fists and blinking, probably keeping tears away. "My mother wore it all the time. She was wearing it the day of her death. Dad said it was the only trace they found of her. And back then, since she was no longer going to be around, I thought maybe I'd forget her. So I wore it as a reminder and to keep me from forgetting," he confessed, his face tightening to hold back the tears that were beginning to collect at the corners of his eyes.

I scooted over close to him and wrapped my arms around him in a warm embrace. I honestly didn't know what to do at that moment, I wasn't very good at the whole comfort-thing. I figured a hug was the best solution. "Koji, it's okay to still hurt from loss. I…" Trailing off, I was at a lack for words. I couldn't find a good way to explain how I related. Sure, I lost someone too, but I wasn't even sure what happened to him. That was the exact situation that Koji fought to prevent. He didn't forget his mother, her death, or anything. I was the exact opposite. I forgot everything about Koichi.

"As long as you never let your mother fade from your heart, she'll never be truly gone, Koji. And if you're worried of forgetting, that's assurance that you never will. You can go through life using her spirit within you to guide you. She'll never leave you," I whispered, my voice the same texture as the wind. "…And I promise I won't either…"

I put my hands to his soft face and turned his head toward me. With my index finger, I wiped away the single tear that escaped. His stormy blue eyes focused into mine and I felt my face turn a bright red. But I dismissed the fear that tried to control me, putting my focus into the force that brought me close to him. I wasn't going to disobey it.

I brought my lips to his, all things falling into its place as soon as I had done so. He seemed taken back that this time it was me leading, but that momentary confusion was soon replaced with the soft yet sure feeling I was used to. I felt the burning of his touch, the ever-alluring fire that harmed me never, but kept me drawn to his aura, making me beg for more. His touch was something I craved, a desire that was never truly appeased. The heat of this fire brought me near, out of the cold of loneliness and the darkness that enveloped heartless souls. This fire gave me reason to believe I was wanted, I wasn't alone, I had a heart I could hold those I loved in.

Eventually, we had to pull away, gasping for breath. I still felt the hot sting on my lips, my heart running a marathon in my chest. My face was flushed from the lack of breath as I made out the words, "I'm…I'm sorry."

He transfixed his eyes upon my face, a bit of confusion displayed upon his facial features. "What are you apologizing for?" he questioned, touching my hand. It was then when he glanced down at my hand I realized it was shaking. "You did nothing wrong." His fingers wrapped around my hand and held it with a tight hold.

I bit my lip and looked away, my face reddened from him grasping my hand in such a way I never anticipated. "No, I—" I stopped quickly, not really sure why I felt so guilty for kissing him. "…It was completely uncalled for, I reacted too quickly…" I glanced back at him, but made sure as to not lock eyes with him.

I looked up at the sky, gazing intently at the colors displayed in vivid joie de vivre on the moons' clear beauty. I glanced back down at the bandana and reluctantly removed my hand from his to untie the cloth. I smoothed it in my lap, and got up, sitting behind Koji. I lifted up the bandana and tied it back into its normal place over his hair. I again used this chance to run my fingers through his hair and then allowed my hand to slide down his back. From there, it proceeded to graze along his back and around his waist into an embracing lock.

"If you think you reacted too quickly, then I made that same mistake twice already," Koji stated, chuckling to himself. I joined him in his laughter, causing me to forget the whole reason I was giving my apologies. But that's how it was; Koji always made me forget all my problems. If we weren't attacked by things pretty much daily, I'd have nothing to worry about whenever he was around to soothe me. Maybe that was why I fell apart whenever I was away. He allows a special healing to begin so I could withstand the trials of being in this world.

I smiled lightly, letting myself get into a vibe that wanted me to tease the Warrior of Light. "Don't worry, JiJi, I forgive you." With one hand, I removed my hat and let my ponytail fall down. I took out the hair band and it spread apart down my back like a black river. My head suddenly felt a heck of a lot lighter by doing so.

He surprised me by presenting a question. "Where'd you find the nickname?" I could see the smile on his face as he asked me this. I knew he had heard me call him by such at other occasions, but now was the only good time to ask.

I instantly thought of Lekismon, putting a frown on my face. "Long story…" I sighed, thinking of all the complications I faced with that evil Energizer Bunny. But I couldn't let her keep me down, so I tossed those thoughts into the deep depths of my mind. The corners of my mouth curved upwards back into a smile. "But that doesn't matter, JiJi. Don't ruin the moment."

We sat in silence for a moment, taking in the warm night and the celestial bodies gazing down at us from above, until Koji broke it by asking me, a small laugh escaping his lips in the process, "You're not used to this, are you?"

I pondered his question a moment, thinking a considerable amount before actually coming up with an answer. It had been years since I stayed up with someone to talk under the night sky. And that person had been Takuya. "It has been a long time for me, Koji." I didn't hesitate to hide the sigh that fell out of my mouth.

He gave me a small grin. "Uh-oh, you used my real name. Should I be prepared for something big?" he questioned rhetorically, his smugness easily distinguished in his tone. I should have expected something sarcastic.

I stood up and stretched my legs, flexing all the joints. "Not really prepared to explain here. It's quite the soap opera, my life back home. I'm afraid if I went through _everything_, it'd be dawn before I was done." I looked at him, awaiting a response of some sort. It wasn't like Koji to leave a statement like that hanging.

He leaned back, holding himself up by propping his palms into the grass behind him. "I didn't ask for your life story, but nonetheless. Do I get to hear a name so I can go and kick his _oshiri_ for making you this way?" He seemed actually rather eager for me to answer, so either he really cared or I was just boring him with our talk.

I sighed. "No, you can't kick his _oshiri_—not that I don't think you can; you could kick anyone's butt no sweat—but…that guy was…" I made sure to add a bit of acid in my voice, but not enough that showed just how angry I still was. "…Takuya."

He stood up in a casual manner, but before he could say anything, I cut in, "But don't worry about it, Koji. He's never a jerk on purpose." I let myself chuckle a little to show I was behind my words. "It just sometimes comes along with the stupidity. I think it's a buy one, get one free deal." Even though I doubted Koji would go and act all irrational, mostly likely blowing my cover at that very moment, it was still for a good safety precaution. I knew for a fact that he wouldn't go all protective-I-don't-want-anything-to-happen-to-you-I'll-always-be-with-you-forever-Edward-Cullen-stalking-Bella mode. I doubted he even watched Twilight.

I put my hair back up into its ponytail and then under my hat. I took a single look at Koji and cocked my head to the side slightly. I walked over to him and adjusted his bandana ever so slightly. I smiled in slight triumph and said, "Okay, now I'm content."

As I began to make my way back to the building, Koji didn't move, asking me in such a way that I could distinctly hear the slight perplexity in his voice, "Uh, what was that about?"

I let out a small laugh. "It was my OCKD acting up," I replied simply, knowing for certain he was going to question my latest response.

"What?" _Who called it? Me!_

I grasped the doorknob, but didn't turn it quite yet. "Obsessive Compulsive Koji Disorder." I laughed out loud and let myself inside, where I was greeted by the scent of freshly-made burgers of a different smell than I had been used to.

"You didn't burn anything, right Takuya?" I eyed him warily with narrow eyes. Through the smell of burgers, I took whiff of something rather foul, which I assumed was indeed something that had been—or currently was—burnt. "Wait never mind, flame boy, that's your specialty. So of course you did."

He gave me a small scowl, one similar to the one he always gave me when I was blaming him for something. Some things just never change. "It wasn't me this time. It was Neemon. He set the kitchen timer for more than a half an hour and then when it went off, he just ignored it!"

Neemon ran past with a bunch of hamburgers all on a pan. They were all charcoal black. "Black is a cool color! Wahoo!"

Takuya let out a light laugh as I facepalmed. As Koji walked over, I could hear him grumble in annoyance, "I never should have trusted him to cover for me when I was gone. Now all the burgers he made are gonna be crap…" _Why would you get _Neemon_ of all people to make burgers for you? That's like asking Takuya to take semester exams for you; that's a flunk waiting to happen…_

I was tempted to laugh at the occurring situation, but realized who exactly was standing nearby so stopped before a sound came out of my mouth. "Peachy Koji, just peachy," I stated rather flatly, crossing my arms, but still unable to conceal the small smile that made its way onto my face, causing the corners of my mouth to rise.

That seemed to have given him a very good idea, because he suddenly got the look on his face like I just said the most ingenious statement ever in the history of all burger-making-schemes. He brought his hand to his chin, going into deep thought. "Peaches huh…?" he mumbled, seemingly putting things together in his head. _I can just see him now. He taps his fingers together like Montgomery Burns from The Simpsons and says darkly 'Excellent…'_ "Hmm…"

Takuya kinda nudged me to get my attention and let out a whisper, holding his hand at the side of his mouth so Koji couldn't hear. "Great, you got him thinking. This can only end one way—" I cut him off, already knowing the answer.

"In a way that'll get your _oshiri _kicked," I finished rather confidently. I knew that for a fact, 'cause Takuya wasn't exactly the luckiest person on the planet, but then again, neither was I, so he may not be the only one that'll suffer tonight. I could be the next one of the painful waiting list and I wouldn't even know it.

He suddenly grinned really wide as he grabbed my arm and dragged me to where he was cooking. "While Koji's over there making his burgers, we can be over here where you can help me make mine, and we'll both be out of harm's way!" he exclaimed, somehow pretty much reading my mind of my thoughts of my own bad luck. Or maybe it was just a lucky guess, an excuse to have me help him cook without actually admitting that he couldn't cook worth beans.

A few minutes of watching Takuya attempt to cook, I heard him begin to hum a popular tune. But it didn't at all last that long, as he began to sing (oh, well, kinda), "Hee-eey he-ee-eey hee-ee-ee-eey…!" He then stopped, pausing for a long while. But then again he sang, "Hee-eey he-ee-eey hee-ee-ee-eey…!"

I eyed him with a deranged look plastered onto my face as I asked, "You don't know that song, do you?" Quite frankly, I wasn't surprised that he didn't know the lyrics. He normally left the singing to me, only singing songs that he knew and were fond of.

He gave me a look that proved my question to be answered and right. "Do _you_?"

I sighed, making a mental note to keep my voice in a guy-ish pitch and began, "Your lipstick stains on the front lobe of my left side brains. I knew I wouldn't forget you, and so I went and let you blow my mind. Your sweet moonbeam, the smell of you in every dream I dream. I knew when we collided, you're the one I have decided who's one of my kind."

Takuya put a look of realization on his face, remembering the words now and joined me in the refrain, "Hey soul sister, ain't that mister mister on the radio, stereo. The way you move ain't fair, you know. Hey soul sister, I don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight.

"Hee-eey he-ee-eey hee-ee-ee-eey!"

We began to do an unexpected duet, going back and forth in the verses, as I started with the first couple of lines,

**Mirai: **"Just in time, I'm so glad you have a one track mind like me. You gave my life direction, a game show love connection; we can't deny I'm obsessed."

**Takuya: **"My heart is bound to beat right out of my untrimmed chest. I believe in you, like a virgin, you're Madonna, and I'm always gonna wanna blow your mind."

**Both:** "They way you can cut a rug, watching you is the only drug I need. So gangster, I'm so thug. You're the only one I'm dreaming of. You see I can be myself now finally. In fact there's nothing I can't be, I want the world to see you'll be with me.

"Hey soul sister, ain't that mister mister on the radio, stereo. The way you move ain't fair, you know. Hey soul sister, I don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight. Hey soul sister, I don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight. Hee-eey he-ee-eey hee-ee-ee-eey! —Tonight— Hee-eey he-ee-eey hee-ee-ee-eey! Tonight."

It was actually kinda strange that we both just sorta jumped into song like we had. But we never really talked about the weirdness, I just immediately jumped to a rhetorical question again, "Hey, guess what?"

He merely looked at me, as if he really didn't know what to expect now. "What?"

"You're kinda a sucky singer," I retorted rather flatly.

The expression on his face told me that he could have easily saw that remark coming a mile away. "Yeah, I've been told." He merely shrugged, going back to his burger-making as if none of that just happened. But this didn't really surprise me; back home, I told him he sucked many times before, but none of the times really took him back all that much. He claimed he had much better, worthwhile talents worth showing off.

I gave the smallest hint of a smile, noting that he actually remembered _me_, as how I actually was, though making sure that he didn't see me get that satisfaction. But dismissing all thoughts of the stupid gogglehead, I made my way back over to Koji, to see what he was up to at the present moment, and maybe to get a general idea of what he may be making. It seemed substantially different than his first creation, different ingredients, looks, odor. Though I wasn't saying his was _bad_ or anything. Uniqueness comes on many different levels.

I rested my chin on my palms, while leaning my elbows on the counter. "Whatchya makin', JiJi?" I questioned, putting that smile I had hid from Takuya onto my face, unafraid to do so in front of Koji. I couldn't deny that things were different between me and him. Because for me and Takuya, even though there might have been in the past, there was nothing now to call anything.

He merely gave me a light grin back, cocking his head only slightly to the side, and answering, "Wait and see…uh…crap. No dice…" He had a look on his face that instantly gave me the signal that he was about to put a little nickname in there or something, but couldn't think of one. Yeah, my name was just that difficult. Or maybe _I _was just that difficult.

"Heh, I know. It's hard," I admitted, noting that that was probably so because my name was rather short. Though Takuya had given me one so quickly, coming up with it in probably like a second and then pretty much using it every time he addressed me.

As if reading my thoughts (that's been happening a lot lately), he then asked me in a tone that the nearby gogglehead wouldn't hear, but still not the hoarse pitch of a whisper, "What did Takuya call you? Or was he uncreative?"

I momentarily took a second to look back at Takuya, just to make sure that he wasn't at all eavesdropping on our conversation, before replying quickly in the same voice quality as Koji, "Miri. He called me Miri." I shrugged indifferently. "Well, he took out an 'a'. One letter. But I guess that's _his_ creativity in motion."

He gave the hint of holding back a small laugh, smiling very lightly. "I'll think of something. Don't worry," he told me after a moment's intermission.

"I'll try not to worry myself sick." My tone was flat, but there was still a tiny grin laid upon my lips that showed my sarcasm. But he didn't see that smile for long, since I began to walk way, seeing what Neemon was up to at this particular moment in time. He seemed to be "putting the finishing touches" on his charred burgers. "Hey, Neemon. What are…those?"

He seemed pleased that I asked. "They're _sumi_ burgers!" he exclaimed happily, holding one of the black masses out to me and grinning as wide as a bunny that hung out with a vegetable possibly could do.

I groaned. "Of course they are…" I mumbled, my eyes gazing up at the ceiling and shaking my head. But not wanting to disappoint the yellow rabbit with the red pants, I took the burger in my hands, stuck it in my mouth, and bit a giant chunk off. I expected instant food poisoning, but actually, the burgers weren't actually half bad. No, they were better than that. They were much better than anyone else's surprisingly. "Dude, what did you put in these things? They're amazing."

Neemon crossed his arms proudly, looking down to the floor as if he was someone of high, hidden confidence. "A little of this and a little of that. A true master cook never reveals his cooking secrets." He turned away, making a 'hmph!' noise that I just figured I'd be better off dismissing as normal Neemon behavior.

I blinked a few times, a bit perplexed about that last little thing. "Alright, then…I guess I'll leave you to your…uh, _sumi_ burgers." I began to walk away, eating the burger as I did so. I noticed Bokomon near the corner of the kitchen, pretty much keeled over from whatever eating the food gave him. I decided to leave him as he was, since that'd be strange if I just walked up, stood him upright like a knocked over garden gnome, and walked away. _Dude, so he's _not_ just a radish. He's a garden radish gnome! I have you figured out, Bokomon!_

Noticing that I gave him a glance, the garden gnome began his complaints, "It's smells like a garbage dump!" Then he mumbled, "I'd leave, but I can't walk."

I put a small scowl on my face for getting _that_ remark out of all of the ones that he could have said. "Hey, don't look at me," I scoffed rather uncaringly, not too in the mood to talk to someone who talks rationally twenty-four hours a day. "You wanna issue your complaints, go to the ones that are actually cooking."

"All done!" Takuya exclaimed, slamming his tray of newly-created burgers on one of the counters nearby. He looked upon his creations with an undisguised pride and overconfidence. I knew he was gonna get a big head.

Koji then walked over with his tray as well, putting it on the other side of the same counter as well. "Just in time," he stated with a rather self-assured smile. He too, looked upon his burgers with a substantial amount of certainty.

He held up his burger up high, gazing upon it smugly with a big smirk placed on his face. "Presenting the vista burger! A super spicy burger made with hot curry, cinchy, and chorizo! When you eat it, your whole body burns!" He put extra emphasis on the last three words, as if they were the most important.

Koji didn't let me get a word in edgewise, holding up his burger in the same demeanor as Takuya and smiling sweetly in a way that made me want to both steal his burger and hug him both at the same time. "And the rainbow burger! Apples, oranges, melon, bananas, strawberries, and garlic sauce! Healthy, colorful, and guaranteed to flush out the pipes!" _So this is what idea I gave Koji when I said peaches…but hey! There's not even any peaches in that thing! Grr, Koji…_

Bokomon and Neemon (who had walked over without my even noticing) both fell over, groaning when Takuya and Koji held out their burgers, smiling really wide while letting a little blush fall upon their cheeks. This was something that was both worth seeing and unexpected to be seen. Though I was glad I didn't miss it.

I walked over and took a look at both of the burgers. Taking on of each in both hands, I took a bite of Koji's and then after a moment of absorbing the taste of it, took a chunk of Takuya's. I pondered while chewing, debating about which one I liked better. After a few moments of anxious looks from both of the Warriors, I shrugged and answered their stares, "I don't know which one I like better. Their both too unique to choose."

And then came a simultaneous exclamation, "Whaaa~! Mine's better!" Again they looked at each other, stabbing each other with invisible daggers. I could just see the angry tension flowing between them, something I didn't want to get into for the concern for sparing my own life. Getting between them was like voluntarily taking Daniel's place in the lions' den.

I immediately took a step back. "Uh-oh…"

And that's when it began. In about the amount of time it takes to blink, they were trying to strangle each other, rolling on the floor trying to pin the other down. And quite frankly, even though Koji would have probably won, no sweat, Takuya was actually putting up one hell of a fight. It seemed rather evenly-matched, to be honest. _No offense to Koji, though, of course…_

"Kazuma, don't you think you should stop them before they kill each other?" Boko—I mean, the garden gnome asked, probably rather surprised and a bit ticked off that I didn't do anything to stop their quarrel, only watched it progress.

I crossed my arms, continuing to watch with outmost interest. I never knew how entertaining it was to watch two guys try to beat the crap out of each other. It was better than cable TV. "No. I don't like to mess with other people's affairs. Besides, I wanna see how this all turns out. Aren't you at all curious?"

Neemon was the one to speak up, instead of Neemon this time. "Oooh! I am! I'm gonna be a champion boxer when I grow up! Yehaa!" He spun around and nailed Bokomon in the head, knocking him onto his back and leaving him unable to get up, struggling with flailing of the arms and kicking of the legs like a flipped-over turtle.

I almost laughed at that scene that only lasted like two seconds. Almost. "Who knew you had it in ya, Neemon?" I questioned, not knowing whether or not to watch to see if the yellow rabbit will do more, or Takuya and Koji, who were still battling it out. I then decided the battle between the Warriors was more entertaining, but still, watching a bunny kick the _kuso_ out of a garden gnome radish was interesting, nonetheless.

"I did!" he replied arrogantly, putting his clenched fists at his waist and looking out to an invisible horizon. "I awoke the power within me right here!" He poked himself in the stomach, gesturing to himself. "I have awakened the power of the pants! And now I deserve full respect!"

And then, Bokomon had his greatest moment ever. "Respect this!" And pulled down Neemon's pants, revealing underwear that was green with little carrots spread out everywhere on it. _Wow, did NOT see that one coming. Nice one, Bokomon, I will never question your wisdom—and judgment, moreover—ever again._

At this, I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. "Kudos to you, Bokomon. Taking an opportunity such as that—and quoting Xiaolin Showdown episode one, in the process—, that was simply beautiful work." I crossed my arms, grinning only slightly, and gave him a you-have-done-well-Radish-Gnome nod. Though the thought came to me that maybe had never seen Xiaolin Showdown before. Or didn't even own a TV.

But, figuring that was over and done with, I walked over to one of the counters, jumped up onto it, and watched Koji and Takuya's struggle continue. Anything more and I'd have to give this brawl a name so it could live in infamy forever. Or at least until someone accidentally threw the napkin the story was written on away.

Koji got a Takuya caught in a headlock, but the goggle-head retaliated with whacking him one over the head. It was almost like Dumb and Dumber fighting, that's the impression I got of it. Yeah, Koji's in no sort of way dumb, but that was the first thing that came into my mind. So sorry to Koji, but it's a compliment to Takuya. A relation to a movie; that was something that was too good for him. Especially since I was comparing him to a character in it. A main protagonist, at that.

I couldn't help but stare a little bit, awestruck of how long this had gone on. I had instantly figured that Koji would pin him down and win, no problem, but Takuya didn't like my figuring, as it had come to seem. It appeared that the stubborn Warrior of Flame didn't want to go down without a fight, and thus, is what had occurred. He got his wish, now he had to see if it lived up to his expectations. Well, I could safely say it did for me.

Neemon, in the middle of the fight I was trying to watch, suddenly piped up. "Hey! Who's in the mood for a sing-along! I know a dandy song!" he exclaimed in effort to cease the fighting that I had got so much enjoyment in viewing. But then again, I was curious as to learn what song he could possibly come up with this time.

So, this new source of amusement coming into play, I jumped off the counter, and walked over to the two wrestling Warriors. I made a swift grab with each hand, and the fruits of my labor gave me an ear in each hand and two annoyed guys. "Okay, fight's over, I'm bored. Now it's Neemon's turn to do something worthwhile," I stated flatly, expressing my outmost boredom with them with the tone of my voice.

They both groaned, crossing their arms, but not before they gave a loud, "owww!" from my hands grasping their ears. They turned away from each other, scowling, knowing that this was indeed not over. Not by a long shot.

I looked at the lemon-colored bunny and gave a head gesture to go on. "All right, Neemon. Rock on," I stated, putting the smallest hint of a smirk on my face. Hopefully he would sing something of today's popular music.

And then, he began to attempt to dance, as he tone-deaf voice began to ring out, "Oh, turn up the music! Let's get out on the floor! I like to move it; come and give me some more!

"Watch me getting physical, out of control, ah! There's people watching me, ah, I never miss a beat!

"Still the night, kill the lights, feel it under your skin! Time is right, keep it tight! 'Cause it's pulling you in!

"Wrap it up, you can't stop, 'cause it feels like an overdose! Feels like an overdose!

"Oh, oh! Evacuate the dancefloor! Oh, oh! Infected by the sound! Oh, oh! Stop, this beat is killing me! Hey Dr. DJ, let the music take me underground!

"Everybody in the club! Oh, oh! Evacuate the dancefloor! Oh, oh! I'm infected by the sound! Everyone in the club! Oh, oh! Stop this beat is killing me! Hey Dr. DJ, come burn this place right down to the ground!

"Oh! My body's aching! System overload! Temperature's rising! I'm about to explode!

"Watch me, I'm intoxicated! Taking the show, ah! It's got me hypnotized, ah! Everybody step aside!

"Still the night, kill the lights, feel it under your skin! Time is right, keep it tight! 'Cause it's pulling you in!

"Wrap it up, you can't stop, 'cause it feels like an overdose! Feels like an overdose!

"Oh, oh! Evacuate the dancefloor! Oh, oh! Infected by the sound! Oh, oh! Stop, this beat is killing me! Hey Dr. DJ, let the music take me underground!

"Everybody in the club! Oh, oh! Evacuate the dancefloor! Oh, oh! I'm infected by the sound! Everyone in the club! Oh, oh! Stop this beat is killing me! Hey Dr. DJ, come burn this place right down to the ground!

"Come on and evacuate, feel the club is heating up! Move on and accelerate, push it to the top! Come on and evacuate, feel the club is heating up! Move on and accelerate, you don't have to be afraid!

"Now guess who's back with a brand new track? They got everyone in the club going mad, so everybody in the back, get your back up off the wall and just shake that thang!

"Go crazy! Yo lady! Yo baby! Let me see you wreck that thang! Now drop it down low, low! Let me see you take it to the dancefloor, yo!

"Everybody in the club! Evacuate the dancefloor! Everybody in the club! I'm infected by the sound!

"Everybody in the club! Stop this beat is killing me! Hey Dr. DJ, let the music take me underground!

"Oh, oh! Evacuate the dancefloor! Oh, oh! Infected by the sound! Oh, oh! Stop, this beat is killing me! Hey Dr. DJ, let the music take me underground!

"Everybody in the club! Oh, oh! Evacuate the dancefloor! Oh, oh! I'm infected by the sound! Everyone in the club! Oh, oh! Stop this beat is killing me! Hey Dr. DJ, come burn this place right down to the ground!"

After that, the only thing that filled the room was a very awkward silence. I didn't know if it was because everyone was amazed or because they fell into an immense state of shock. I wasn't too sure about myself, either, whether I should cheer at the performance or just drop my jaw and let my facial expression do all of the talking here.

Neemon took a bow, not really taking any measures to hide his confidence or whatever you wanna really call it. He apparently really liked that song, because with it, he…uh, acted out some choreography, that's all I'll say. It's not that I wasn't certain of what it was, it was just…yeah. Choreography, let's just leave it at that.

I allowed my eyes to grow wide, saucer-size. "Wow. That was just…wow." Simply put, I didn't really know what to say. I had never assumed that this digital rabbit with carrot underwear could possibly know a modern song. Sure, that's what I was hoping for, but truly, I never really actually took it into consideration that he actually _knew_ one.

"And everyone thinks that _I _sing bad…" I heard Takuya mumble, not removing his eyes—of which were replicas of mine—from the very Digimon I was staring at. I don't think he even felt the pain from me grasping his ear anymore. Actually, I wasn't even sure if I was holding onto it anymore; I kinda lost sense of everything during his song.

"You _do_ sing bad," I retaliated plainly, still not looking at the goggle-head as I said this bit of information, although it was to whom I was speaking. "But Neemon…he…_kuso. _He sings worse than you… somehow…"

"Any more and I thought my eardrums would bleed…" I heard Koji mumble in annoyance. I wondered how that would work, because I was presently grasping one of his ears. Would it all…drain out of only one ear?

Neemon grinned and then threw his arms up in the air. He then asked excitedly, hoping we'd take his answer in a delightful way, which at this point wasn't likely, "You wanna hear another one? I know Pants On The Ground!"

"NO!" Came our simultaneous response. The speed of which we replied was rather astounding, knowing that we were still in utter distress from that last, erm… "performance" that he had just put on for us. And now I was beginning to wonder if it was because he secretly hated us and wanted us to suffer miserably.

I gave a cheesy grin, releasing both boys with a simple flex of my fingers. "No, that's okay, Neemon," I answered, trying to keep my cool and recover from that sudden outburst that had just occurred. "Takuya and Koji were in the middle of something, right guys?" I looked at them and gave them a look that clearly stated, 'Start finding something you don't like about each other and start fighting about it, will ya?'

They got the message, ran over back to the counter that they had placed all their burgers on, and held up their burgers like they did earlier. Though instead of the cute little smiles, there were angry glares placed upon their faces. Again came that horrible tension, yet I could tell completely that it was partly staged.

"My hamburger's the best!" Takuya shouted, almost an evil grin curved in his lips that looked like he just wanted to go up to something and devour it whole, not really giving a crap what the hell it may be.

"Wrong again, Dorkus!" Koji snapped back, not removing his deep, you-are-so-dead stare from Takuya. I was actually slightly scared to confront him just about ever again, knowing that he could actually fake such an angry face.

Then, they both turned to Bokomon, Neemon (who was still depressed that no one wanted to hear another song), and I and demanded with evil I'm-gonna-kill-you-with-my-bare-hands glares, "WHICH ONE IS IT, GUYS?"

Even though that made the two Digimon run away in almost what seemed like sheer terror, I got the clenched, baring teeth, the eyes that were ninety-nine percent black pupil, I almost started laughing when seeing the way Koji's eyebrows curved. They almost reminded me of bent fishhooks. But, despite how much of a moron he _almost_ looked like (it's Koji, he can't look all that dumb), that's just one of the qualities that I didn't mind.

But I had to like his qualities, since there had to be _someone_ keeping me sane here.

* * *

**And there you have it! Please R&R, that makes me grateful to no end when people give me good reviews and compliments! Thanks guys to all you who read and review this! *blows kisses***

**Oh yes, and it would also help me to take a simple poll that I have on my profile page. I would like my readers to tell me which of the Frontier character's (besides Koichi) personality I capture the best. It will help me figure out who I need to work on. The poll, btw, will be closed when I post chapter 20, or possibly 21 depending on how quickly I get them finished, so please help a fellow aspiring writer out! Thankies!**


	22. Chapter 20

**You guys better be happy with this chapter! Do you know how scared of the dark I am because of writing this chapter! I had to close the window closest me, pull the curtain over it, and put on music just cuz I thought I heard sounds coming from outside! And to top it off, I wrote it at 11 at night! Grr...!**

**Btw, just as an extra note, I'm making the ages of all the characters a few years higher, just so the character history I came up with matches up alright. I never came up with specific ages, but I'm figuring they'd be low teens or so. **

**And also, I have reached the 100 review mark! Congratulations to AquaAngel13 for being the 100th review of this fanfiction! *throws confetti and hands cupcake with chunk bit off* ...sorry. I had Takuya over last night and he got a bit hungry. We were supposed to have dinner, but by the time he got to my place (late. As usual), I had already finished eating.**

**Takuya: Are you talking about me?**

**Me: Nooo! I'm talking about...uh...Duskmon! *drags Duskmon in* See? *huggles***

**Takuya: O.o**

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Chapter 20

"_Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!_

"_Sometimes I feel like everybody's got a problem. Sometimes I feel like nobody wants to solve them. I know that people say we're never going to make it, but I know we're going to get through this. Close your eyes and please don't let me go. Don't, don't, don't, don't let me go now. Close your eyes don't let me let you go. Don't, don't, don't…_

"_Take my hand tonight, let's not think about tomorrow. Take my hand tonight; we could find some place to go, 'cause our hearts are locked forever, and our love will never die. Take my hand tonight one last time…_

"_The city sleeps and we're lost in the moment. Another kiss as we're lying on the pavement. If they could see us they would tell us that we're crazy, but I know they just don't understand. Close your eyes and please don't let me go. Don't, don't, don't, don't let me go now. Close your eyes don't let me let you go. Don't, don't, don't…_

"_Take my hand tonight, let's not think about tomorrow. Take my hand tonight; we could find some place to go, 'cause our hearts are locked forever, and our love will never die. Take my hand tonight one last time…_

"_Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!_

"_The raindrops. The tears keep falling. I see your face, and it keeps me going. If I get lost, your light's going to guide me, and I know that you can take me home. You can take me home…_

"_Take my hand tonight, let's not think about tomorrow. Take my hand tonight; we could find some place to go, 'cause our hearts are locked forever, and our love will never die. Take my hand tonight one last time…_

"_Take my hand tonight, let's not think about tomorrow. Take my hand tonight; we could find some place to go, 'cause our hearts are locked forever, and our love will never die, love will never die. Take my hand tonight one last time…"_

_I smiled lightly, looking straight up at him from my place on the floor next to his bed, leaning my back up against it. He was lying on his stomach on his bed, smiling, his eyes shimmering brighter than the brightest flame. My cheeks were tourmaline pink as he reached down and tucked a few strands of my hair behind my ear. I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling his warm touch to my skin. _

_I closed the textbook on my lap and sat it beside me before getting to my feet. I turned down the radio that was currently playing a new song to an unheard volume level before saying softly, "It's getting late. I should probably go…" _

_At this, he rose and walked over to me, his footfalls not making a single sound on the floor. "Not without this…" he replied in the same quiet tone as I, his voice the only thing filling the silence all around us. He leaned in and gave me a small kiss on the cheek, making me grow redder in the face and my expression changing one to expressed my surprise._

_I reached my hand up to my face, putting my hand where his lips had touched. I gave him a weak, endearing smile as my eyes left his and gazed out the window to the caramel-colored sky beyond the glass, colors of the same beauty and likeness of his eyes. I picked up my bag and slung it over my shoulder, really not wanting to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow…" _

"_Yeah. See ya later, baby…"_

… … …

_I walked into the schoolyard, looking for that ever-smiling face that gave me a sweet greeting every morning. I ignored the looks I got from all the other students at the ground, pondering them, but never showing my anger. I couldn't. I had too much to look forward to, despite all of the problems I had. Everything flawed and stained seemed to all disappear and be forgotten when he was here. Nothing seemed to ever be wrong when he was around me, he just took away the pain, the sorrow, the anger, everything. It was his gift._

_I made my way into the school building, to my locker. I shook my hair out of my eyes, put my books away, and made my way to the mezzanine, our agreed meeting place. I always had plenty of time to spare before class, plenty of time to spend with him. There wasn't much we did in the mezzanine, just mere conversation mostly, since it was always quiet. If I could've ditched class just to sit there talking with him, I would have in a heartbeat. Not only for the absence from class, but primarily for the pure love of hearing his voice, his laughter. The way his eyes would always shimmer when he smiled made it all worth it._

_Walking up the stone stairs, I began to hear voices. When I could see them, I felt my heart ripping in half in my chest, unable to contain the anger now beginning to bubble up into my throat, about to escape through my lips. I felt like I could just go on a homicide mission, killing anyone and everyone I saw, just to relieve the sheer rage I felt. The foul emotion I had been bottling up and had earlier dismissed fueled it, making a fiery heat build up in my chest. I couldn't contain myself._

_I knew for certain they heard me at my arrival, the tapping of my shoes on the steps. Because when I stopped after surpassing the last step, their eyes were laid on mine. He gave me a surprised look, as if he didn't expect me. As if he_ forgot about me_. I didn't look for the other emotions written in his eyes, I saw all I needed to. As for her, I had already previously had a problem with her. Now she just brought death upon herself._

_He pushed himself away from her, as if that would somehow change what he had done, erase what I had seen. Maybe he thought that would somehow turn back time, but I seriously doubted that. He had probably enjoyed it. After all, all the guys in the school talked about her at one point or another. It was only a moment of time for him, I guessed. And that time where he got lucky came at this very moment._

_Questions flew around in my mind, only causing me to decide there's no real good reason behind this, behind the looks he was giving me: Why did I not have that that she did? He doesn't really think looks matter that he would do this, does he? Am I really not good enough for him that he has to go shoving his tongue down some other girl's throat? And why _her_ of all people? Do I mean nothing to him?_

_He tried to negotiate with me, tried to make me calm like normally could do. I wasn't going to fall for that any more. "Mirai, I—" I cut him off, unable to contain any of the fury that made me so impatient._

_I found it hard to hold myself collected, my gaze tightening at the pair just standing there. She looked like she got more satisfaction out of my reaction than the kiss itself. _

_I glared daggers at him, making sure he knew he was an enemy to me now. "I don't want to even hear it! Whatever dumb excuse you have!" I exploded, not collecting myself all that well. "It won't make me forgive you!" I walked closer and searched their faces for the answers that I desired. _

_She enjoyed seeing me like this. I knew she did. "You're not wanted here, I hope you can see that. You don't belong anywhere. People like you, they just don't live up to standard. You go around just looking for pity from anyone—" I made certain she didn't finish that statement. People like me, she had said. Was I really all that much of a humiliation to her to go and deliberately make my life hell?_

_And the way I made her stop: I gave her a bloody nose. And probably a broken one, at that. "Let's see if your plastic surgeon can fix that one," I scoffed emotionlessly, wiping the blood of my fist onto my jeans. "And maybe afterwards, your new boyfriend can kiss it so it can get all better." I averted my gaze to him and gave him a deep stare, walking away, the words written on my face. I hate you._

"Woowoo! Eh, whatever. Bleh, bleh, bleh woo! Bleeeehh!"

I awoke with a start, lunging forward, my eyes darting in every direction, taking in everything all around me. I gathered my senses and sighed, leaning back on my seat. _Only a stupid dream…_I thought with an annoyed groan, looking around at the Warriors all around me. They were all awake and speaking about their destination. I thought back. We had gotten onto a Trailmon, the thing that had caused my awakening, headed for our next destination. The repetitive rocking and bumping on the tracks must have lulled me to sleep. I would have been fine with it if I hadn't dreamt. The first part I was fine with, no problem. But it was the second that I had trouble with. Especially since it was about _that_.

I didn't want to go back to that again. That day had changed me. It had given me the love of silence and aloneness. Yet I still found myself drawn back for false hope. Maybe that is where I went wrong. I gave him too much credit. I should have been content with solitude, him being out of my hair, I should have done more to get my message of loathing across. I knew he saw that hatred in my eyes, only a fool wouldn't have. Maybe he actually had wanted to fix things, though doubt had always filled me at the thought. He seemed better off with her; they even seemed to make a cuter couple than we had. Though I hardly could've called us _that_. It just sounded too…dramatic, over the top, a huge exaggeration.

I tried to shake those thoughts and memories out of my head. I had moved on, and because of that, I found just how bad the world was. I had no more protection from the things that I had been avoiding, and all in all, it made me see the sheer, true-blue truth. You couldn't run from your problems; you had to attack the threat head-on, full-force. Running only delayed the problem, never gets rid of it.

"Wow, check it out! The Rose Morning Star has gotta be close now!" Takuya exclaimed, looking out the window of the car as everyone ran to join him. _The Rose Morning what? What is he talking about? Did I miss something that I probably shouldn't have?_

"But it's midday. Are the clouds supposed to be that dark?" Zoe questioned as I pulled myself off of the seat I had been resting upon, taking notice to the big purple, black, and blue clouds that hung over the approaching forest like a storm cloud over an unlucky person, just raining on their frickin' parade.

But as soon as I had managed to get to my feet, everyone went back to their seats and sat back down. That was such a buzz kill. I groaned, blaming the lack of sleep I had gotten earlier from staying up all night as the burgers were made and the sleep I was pretty much forced by my own body to get. I glanced over at Koji, who was sitting by the window—of which had no glass or anything to hold someone I may or may not get ticked off at inside—and gazing out, before sitting back down again. I figured I wouldn't get back asleep, since I was now totally wide awake, although still feeling the absence of needed rest dragging me down.

"Oh hey, Bokomon, what does the book say about this area?" Tommy asked, whose question had caught my attention, realizing I may get the answers about this 'Rose Morning Star' that I sought.

The white gnome opened his book and began to page through, scanning the pages lightly. "Hmm, let's see, I haven't found anything about it…" At that moment, his eyes grew the size of baseballs as he screamed and stared at the book before him like it had teeth or something.

And as if right on its frickin' cue, the Trailmon threw on its breaks and skidded to an instant stop, shoving the majority of its unsuspecting passengers onto the floor in the middle aisle of the car.

"All right, who's the nimrod that slammed on the breaks?" JP snapped from his newly-claimed spot on the floor flipped onto his head. I never knew he could get his legs straight up in the air like that. _Learn something new every day…_

"That'd be me, Blueboy," came the Trailmon's reply, like he didn't care that the ones he was taking to their destination wasn't the Legendary Warriors. But I don't think we even gave him that information, for the uselessness that saying that would give us. All the good that'd do. He'd probably be glad for our arrival and then ask us to do something totally back-breaking and nice. Sure, no one else would have a problem going out of their way to do something kind, but sometimes I just felt it was a waste of time. "End of the line."

We all looked out the windows as Zoe, adjusting her cat-ear hat, stated, noting the totally obvious like we were too blind to see it for ourselves, "That can't be right. We're in the middle of nowhere."

"On the contrary, Zoe," I mumbled quietly, though she could still hear me, evidence given from the slight bat of the eye she gave me, "Everywhere is somewhere. Nowhere is the absence of location, but as we all know, we're in the Digital World; therefore, we are indeed really are _somewhere_. It's just the knowledge of this that makes all the difference. And the chump that stole your map, messed with your compass, and gave you bad directions."

She giggled at my last comment, smiling at me a smile that for once didn't wish me to drop dead. "Well, someone had a nice nap. For once, you're in a good mood," she remarked, showing that she was indeed glad that I wasn't yelling at her or dropping food over her head for the first time in a…well, ever.

"It looks like the tracks don't stop for miles," Koji continued, going back onto the given topic, looking across the small land bridge that connected the mainland to our destination, noting how far the train tracks really ran. And it appeared they ran all the way there. It didn't make sense for the Trailmon to stop here of all places.

"How observant of you," the Trailmon scoffed uncaringly, making no real gesture of wanting to keep on moving. "Look, if I say it's the end of the line, it's the end of the line. Go on! Get lost!"

"Koji!" JP let out a loud whine while saying the Warrior of Light's name. "How did you ever race with this guy?"

"You can't do this! We have DigiRail passes!" Zoe yelled, holding up her little ticket as if the red train would somehow see it and then for whatever reason, change its mind. And neither aspiration of the lavender-dressed girl seemed to becoming any nearer to achieving the goal of continuing on our way.

"Yeah, yeah. Write it down, you'll sell millions," the Trailmon retaliated sarcastically.

I got out of my place off the floor of which I didn't think of moving from until that point. "Guys, it's clear he's not going to go anywhere," I stated rather flatly, beginning to make my way off of the train. "So why don't we just get off the train and walk the rest of the way? We were going to end up walking eventually; it's inevitable." I opened the car door and dismissed myself off the train. I stopped a few yards away to see if they were going to follow or I was going to be getting a head start.

"Look, if you want to go, then go! I ain't stopping you." The side and top of the car flipped upwards, and the floor lifted up in a hinge-like motion, throwing the now unwanted passengers out and onto the ground. "I'll wish you the best of luck." The Trailmon began to back up the way we came. "You're gonna need it!"

I walked over with my hands in my pockets as I heard JP groan, "I have to admit, I've been dumped before, but never quite like that…"

Taking note of this with a substantial amount of surprise and skepticism, I mumbled to myself in a tone that probably no one could have possibly took notice of, "He had a girlfriend? That poor girl…"

Takuya was the first to pick himself up, looking past me at the land that lied miles before us. "So, everyone in one piece?" he questioned, not even glancing at the injuries anyone else could have acquired.

"Aren't there any _normal _Trailmon?" Zoe questioned in outmost loathing of the ever-lazy and ignorant train Digimon, getting up with a big frown on her face that showed just how much she was displeased with gravity.

"Maybe they're the normal ones, and you're the weird one," I mused with slight amusement. She sent me daggers through eye contact, but I just looked away and ignored her. But that probably only managed to piss her off even more than the Trailmon had. Yet, then again, that was quite easy to do, so it was no real surprise.

"I think I popped a waistband," Neemon commented out of the blue from his place flat on his back over by Koji, who was sitting in a crouched position with an irritated look on his face. Apparently getting the boot wasn't the way he liked to exit places, namely living and talking trains.

Takuya turned to the radish-head garden gnome and looked at him for the much-needed (and probably for him, more needed than the rest of us) information. He had a look of confusion on his face, further proving my suspicion. "Bokomon?"

Bokomon scowled with narrowed eyes, gazing in the distance past the gogglehead. "Welcome to the Dark Gate," he said quietly, not once blinking or making any kind of movement. "That temple-like structure behind you is the Dark Gate, through which lies the Continent of Darkness." He said it with so much gloom, sounding so inexplicable, I thought that Tommy may just wet himself. It'd either be him or JP, take your pick.

We turned to walk over and look at the stone building of which lied in our path. Emblazoned upon it was what I assumed was the symbol of darkness carved in the stone itself above the entrance. And on it was a dome-like construction, seemingly for the primary reason of decoration, as were the tall, stone spikes that jutted out from the corners and then in the very middle. The Gate itself was shrouded in the dark, violet and navy clouds, although at this particular altitude, it seemed to be a thick fog that could have been cut with a blade. And seeing how this place looked as though it could have been haunted, if you tried cutting it with the blade, it just may cut you back.

"Is it as bad as it sounds?" Zoe asked, seemingly to no one in particular, not even trying to mask that she was probably scared stiff. Wait, never mind, take out he probably. She most definitely was.

"I wish I could tell you, but to be honest, I have no idea what awaits us there," Bokomon replied glumly, still using that same tone that made me want to just beat him over the head with something and shout, 'Stop doing that, you gnome! You sound like you're in a frickin' horror movie or something!' "It's an eerie land shrouded in utter darkness, but the dangers it holds are as legendary as its mysteries."

"I think that's rather obvious, Bokomon," I stated, crossing my arms as JP and Zoe drew near to the informational Digimon. "You just stated the name of the place in more words. It kinda destroys the self-explanatory-ness of its name."

"There's gotta be something written in the book about it," JP concluded, staring down at Bokomon as if he knew there was something that this Digimon just wasn't telling us. But it didn't seem like there really was anything for such a Digimon like Bokomon to really know worth hiding.

Bokomon kept his eyes off of the chocolate-loving dude and his head pointed down towards the ground as the rest of the group walked over. "Well, let's take a look, shall we? Continent of Darkness, chapter twelve." He pulled the ugly green book out of his even uglier pink waistband (how did he fit the egg, the book, _and_ himself all in there?) and opened up. The pages were completely black , not even a single illegible word. Though that may be because there simply _were_ no words to try to attempt to read.

"Whoa, it's pitch black," Takuya exclaimed as he bent over to look at the book. Though if all the pages were like that, there simply was no reason to read it. _Now that's a book I could get used to reading…_

"Thanks for the deduction, Sherlock," I scoffed arrogantly, taking a single bat of the eye to look at the dark pages of which Bokomon held the book open to, "I'm sure you helped out all the people here who are blind."

"How come?" Tommy asked the smart Digimon, ignoring my comment that had been directed to the Warrior of Flame.

As he answered, Bokomon put the book back into its place in his waistband. _Kamisama _knows how he could jam it in there so easily, "It appears that there is no firsthand information on this place. Many a brave Digimon have ventured within, but it seems that none of them have ever returned to tell of its secrets."

I sighed, noting that of being the most typical thing about places that most likely had homicidal maniacs running about within it. "Hey, does anyone else hear creepy piano music playing in the background?"

Bokomon continued as if I didn't just make a comment on the music that always usually played when someone was talking about something completely terrifying, "Only the foolhardy would dare enter the Continent of Darkness. We'll have to find another route to the Rose Morning Star."

I rolled my eyes mentally, knowing exactly what was coming up next. _And we're that foolhardy people, aren't we?_

"But the shortest route is straight ahead," Takuya contradicted, as if he didn't hear a word of which the smartest Digimon here just said about this place, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?" _Oh great, this again._

And this is when Bokomon fully realized what the gogglehead just said. His head shot up and he made a loud, "Huuh?"

Thunder boomed as JP suggested, probably not wanting to risk his butt in a place that probably would indeed be the very death of him, "Uh, I think we should take a vote." _Write up a ballot and I'll kill you. Politics is the last thing I want to talk about now._

"Agreed." This time, it sounded like Bokomon was the one that was going to wet himself.

"Ya know, when all of us work as a team, we've overcome some pretty stuff, so what's the point in backing off here and giving up?" Takuya questioned, sounding rhetorical in this particular inquiry. For once he actually starting making absolute sense with this, but I wasn't gonna assume that this was gonna become a regular thing.

JP crossed his arms, looking ahead, as if it would somehow impress Zoe or something with his stupid show of courage. _Wait, what courage? I've never seen him have courage, he must have stole it from Koji or something, because that's not something you can just up and buy. Or is it? _"Yeah, if something major happens, we'll just Spirit Evolve."

"There isn't any trouble that _we_ can't handle!" Tommy agreed, though trying to sound tough so he didn't seem so immature in front of everyone.

"Exactly! We're the six Legendary Warriors who stopped Grumblemon and that guy was no pushover!" Zoe continued, as if we were the only Legendary Warriors that existed and no one else could compare in strength or vigil or anything. There had to be someone, there was always someone.

"You guys know I'm in." Koji seemed highly distracted as he said this, keeping his eyes on the sinister area that was ahead, as if expecting our voyage here in the Digital World to change once we found out just what things awaited us there. And I felt a strange twinge that told me that he was completely right. But he probably felt it too…

I took a couple steps and began trekking on. "And I'm already walking," I added, telling them—and showing them—my vote.

"Well, we took a vote. Motion carry." Takuya balled his fists, like he was mentally preparing the group for what was ahead, although by this time, I was already a couple yards away from them, growing impatient that they were just standing around and talking about what we should do when it was already clear of that answer. He pumped his fist into the air and grinned. "Move out!"

I spun around and glared at the Warrior of Flame as he lead the group near. "Hey! Shouldn't I get to say that? I was going first!" I wasn't sure why I was making such a big deal out of it, but hey, a fight's a fight, and I needed that extra load off my chest. Besides, I should've gotten my turn to say something energizing.

"So? I'm the leader!" Takuya shot back, ending me an I'm-cooler-so-I-get-the-cool-phrases look. That was just typical Takuya-ness. _Hey, look a new word…!_

"Someone refresh my memory here; who was it exactly that decided to nominate you as the leader?" I crossed my arms and sent him a glare that was almost an exact duplicate to the one that he was giving me. "Because I'm pretty frickin' sure that it wasn't me."

At this remark, the Warrior of Flame suddenly appeared to be very proud of himself for whatever dumb reason that popped into his head at that moment. He grinned really wide, like he just won a lifetime's supply of candy bars. "Well, it's quite apparent that I'm the only one here with enough skill to fill the task."

That pretty much pissed everyone else in the group off, since he was insulting them now too. It didn't seem like it was completely intentional, but he never really had a way with words. He always said things never come out of his mouth the right way; they always sounded a heck of a lot better in his head (like the majority of his 'ingenious plans'). But that way classic gogglehead behavior.

As he was pretty much being beat to death by his fellow Warriors and yelling out 'Uncle! Uncle!', I just smiled to myself a near invisible smile and kept walking as if there was nothing to hold me back in the first place. "Guys, I thought we took the vote to go through the Continent of Darkness. What's the hold-up?"

* * *

We made our way into the thick forest of the Continent of Darkness, fully taking into account that it was indeed named after what it was like there. Dark. Very dark. It was one of those places that made you think there was something there, stalking you, seeking and waiting for your demise, knowing that it shall be behind your death. It was one of those places that makes your blood run cold, makes your heart beat just taking a single step, like the next bend will bring your deepest, most dreaded fears into existence. It's one of those places that makes you want to scream your lungs out, just because the mere wind makes the world all around you howl like a werewolf that will take you down and devour you.

It's one of those places that makes you wanna get the hell outta there.

We followed the track deep into the forest, a forest that completely fit the above description. All of the trees seemed to be bent into a strange shape that held a shadow that would scare the crap out of just about anyone, and they were as shrouded as the sky above, with the same colors aside from the greenness of leaves, making it possible for any creature to dwell within them in waiting.

"I'm wondering, could Digimon somehow end up being ghosts?" Tommy questioned, staring at the ground as he said this, like he was scared to look up and see what was ahead. I wanted to bet someone that he would be the first one to be kidnapped by a murderous insane person—er, Digimon because of this.

I cocked my head to the side, knowing how fun I could make this. "Well, I guess it all depends on what kills them," I replied, trying to make it sound like I knew exactly what I was talking about. In truth: I didn't. So I decided to make this entertaining for me, making my voice menacing and quiet, hoping more of that music would play. It didn't. "Maybe if it was an evil Digimon bathed in darkness. With blades shining in the moonlight, warm blood staining the cold steel from his last victim. He stealthily could make his way into the group of wayward travelers, slicing the throats when thy oblivious back is turned—" I crept up to Takuya and threw my hands over his eyes. "Raa!"

He screamed a really high-pitched yell as I enjoyed my moment of glory and laughter. A few other Warriors joined in because of the common amusement that was obtained by my little scheme.

"Shut up, Kazuma! C'mon, what kind of talk is that? Next you'll start telling ghost stories!" Zoe squealed in terror, fearing what would be the next topic of discussion. But I still hadn't gotten over my little game enough to care. Wait, never mind. I wouldn't have cared anyway.

JP grinned, knowing it was his time to shine. Or at least flicker. "It was a dark and stormy night…luckily there was this terrific guy there waiting to come to your rescue!" he exclaimed, implying himself in this little story.

"Too bad he was afraid of both storms _and_ the dark," I mused, finding out I was pretty much on a roll that night. Probably because everyone was tense. But hey, I got my couple of scores in, so it didn't really matter to me.

At that moment, the wind began to wail a loud, beast-like yell. The trees began to shake violently and the sky deepened in blackness. Branches banged and scraped against each other, making a hard, ear-piercing sound like nails on a chalkboard. The air grew suddenly deathly cold, thick, sea-green mist rising up from the ground like some_thing_ was about to make its appearance out of nothingness. Or like _Death_ was approaching, its jagged, crimson blade drawn, ready to come out of Darkness and slay Light itself…

Bokomon, Neemon, Tommy, and Zoe lunged for the people nearest them.

I let a growl stifle out of my throat. "Guys, get the hell off of me, it was just the wind." I sent glares at the two humans clinging to me for dear life. I noted how Neemon somehow got up into a high branch of a tree in just about no time. I just blinked and he was up there. "Why couldn't you guys have clung to a tree or something?"

JP, who previously was lying prostrate on the ground, his face pressed to it with a scared witless Bokomon holding onto his leg for all he's worth, turned over to his side and started throwing one of the hissies he was just so good at, "Stop acting like my Aunt Mabel's dog!"

Bokomon made no effort to move from his place at all whatsoever. "Aunt Mabel's dog would have turned tail and gone by now!" he answered back, probably having no idea who Aunt Mabel was, nor really caring at that point. It was official: He was going to be the first one to wet himself, and that indeed wasn't going to be a pretty sight.

"We're not going back! We've all been walking for hours!" Takuya snapped, for once losing his cool almost instantly, and this time actually blowing up on the one that told him about the ones that he normally blew up on on a regular basis.

"Let's walk back a few hours. And then we can all get ourselves out of this poor excuse for a dark closet once and for all!" the informational Digimon responded, still not making any gesture of wanting to remove itself from JP's leg.

It was quiet a few moments until Tommy spoke up, sounding unsure or worried about something. _Oh God, what next? A twig is threatening you?_ "H-hey guys…" he began, getting our attention. He pointed out into the distance and looking straight at it with a will-it-attack-me look plastered on his face. "Something's glowing."

"Koji, did you forget to turn off your element again?" I questioned, as we peered a ways down the track at an ominous green glow. _Or maybe it's Mercurymon gone radioactive, he's green enough, and you never know what he has in that creepy conehead of his…_

JP finally got Bokomon off his leg (after having to pretty much peel him off like a giant, gnome-shaped leech) and stood up. "Fireflies?" _Yeah, captain, they're fireflies. Why don't you go with a net and try to piss 'em all off?_

"Maybe there's a town up ahead," Koji suggested, thinking rationally, as usual. The gears in that pretty boy's head were always turning, and they seem to never rust, either. _He must have a good mechanic—er, psychologist. _

I looked over at JP and gave a devious, mocking grin. "Maybe it's a town of _fireflies_," I concluded sarcastically. "And they've been awaiting your arrival you they can give you all their chocolate. Okay, that being said, go fetch, JP!" What I really wanted to say was 'Go over there and get yourself killed, JP! That's the way!'

Takuya, paying no mind to the many comments I've been making all day—er, night—er…_Does someone here have a clock?, _decided to make the first dumb step forward. "C'mon, let's check it out."

As we began walking toward the strange green light (I'm onto you, Mercurymon…), I heard some leaves rustle on one of the many nearby trees and the unmistakable sound of something moving very quickly. I turned slightly and saw the silhouette of a creature, either flying or jumping up into the air with a vampire-like body structure. Its bright yellow eyes eyed us with an evil, blood-thirsty glint…

"IT'S EDWARD CULLEN! HOLY FRICKIN' CRAP!" I screamed my head near frickin' off, my imagination being the thing that's killing me here (it officially has became a curse), and I stuck fast to the thing that was closest to me. "HE'S COME FOR ME BECAUSE OF ALL THE TIMES I'VE RIPPED ON HIM IN THIS 'FIC!"

"Kaz, um, I have something to ask you…what the heck?" Takuya's eyes stared me down in immense confusion as I refused to remove my arms from around him and my face from in his yellow shirt. I had his arms held tight against him because of my death grip and so there was pretty much nothing he could do but stand there and complain about personal space.

"Karma! It's out to kill me!" I replied overenthusiastically in a hardly undisguised whine, my voice muffled from my face being buried in his shirt, so I wasn't even too sure if anyone could understand what I just said. But at this point, I didn't care. "I ripped Edward, and now he's gonna rip me!"

Takuya didn't seem like he wanted to ask any more questions. "Okay, then…"

I then noticed everyone staring at me, looking through the corners of my eyes, but not removing my face. I seemed to inspire Tommy (dude, it appeared to them as a guy hugging a guy, so of course it would be inspiring to a gay freak who had yet to write his coming out journal), but Zoe had this very weird look on her face, like, 'Who knew you played for that team? I was just beginning to like you, too.' "Um, Kazuma, may I ask what you're doing?" she dared asking.

"Scaring myself witless! What does it look like!" That, I was sure, she indeed heard. And then, I decided to add, just to spare myself some later wasted dignity, "And this is NOT what it looks like! I know what you all were thinking! Don't even think about it! And don't get any bright ideas, Tommy!"

"Okay, moment's over!" Takuya cut in suddenly. His tone suddenly changed to flat and rather annoyed. "Now get the heck off me."

I dropped my arms and backed away. "That was my bad." I pretty much had to choke out the words of my attempted apology. That had indeed not been one of my greatest moments ever; I'd say my most needy. And needy was not something I ever tried to go for. Things like that made my stomach churn. "Uh…weren't we in the middle of walking or something?"

We continued on and I began to think. Being the Warrior of Flame, Takuya, as I knew he probably would with such element, felt really warm. He radiated this alluring little wave of warmth. In a way, it was different from what I was used to from Koji. Not better by any means, just different, unique. When I was near Koji, things seemed more bearable, like someone going into the darkness with a lantern, they could see more clearly and have less reason to be afraid because they knew what was there. I figured this all had to do with their corresponding Spirits and elements. And yet, the feelings I received from those moments seemed to have more of a humanly aura, like how their own beings affected their touch. But, I assumed quickly, that was me just being totally paranoid.

We sped up to a run for whatever reason, growing nearer and nearer to Mer—I mean, the strange green lights. They seemed to do nothing, never moving, never dimming, or anything. It left the options of what it may be open for just about anyone to give a fair guess. Except for JP, he's got bugs on the brain.

"Look at that!" Takuya gasped, stopping before it suddenly. I had to veer myself on the balls of my feet in order to avoid smashing into him. _A warning would have been nice dude, nice for the both of us._

I blinked at the glowing substance with a growing confusion and overall annoyance. "We went all this way for moss?" I questioned in expressing of my frustration, though still trying not to completely blow up in anger from all of the time we wasted just trying to get here in hopes that it was something that it wasn't.

Koji tossed me the small hint of a smile. "Not just any moss. _Glowing _moss," he teased. But then he suddenly gained all seriousness back into his voice in a single instant. "I wonder if it's safe to touch."

"I dare you to eat it," I answered back, returning the haughtiness he had displayed in his own voice.

JP apparently ignored me and decided to answer Koji's inquiry. "Let's see!" He merely bent over and picked some up in his hands. _That's smart, 'cause if it wasn't safe, it probably would have burnt your hands away to nothing. You show some real wit sometimes, ya know that? _"Sure is! We can use it to light our way!" He seemed excited that even though they weren't fireflies, he could still hold it and love it and take care of it forever.

Everyone picked up a handful of the moss as I just merely stared at it. I didn't know what it reminded me of, maybe some weird seaweed… _Oh yeah! In Scooby-Doo, there was a part with glowing green seaweed…maybe that's it. There was the glowing scuba diver guy that was chasing after them and hiding boats in a secret marina…Why am I so glad that I figured that one out?_

"Wow! This stuff works great!" Tommy exclaimed as we began to walk once again, staring at his radioactive moss. I could have guessed the thing he wanted to do with it right at that moment was take off his hat and plop it on his head so it appeared that he had glowing hair. _Probably to try to impress his man-crushes…_

Though it was undeniably true that it worked well for lighting our path. The area lit up and revealed all that seemed concealed in darkness beforehand. It seemed that everyone wasn't as tense and scared anymore, but I was still on the lookout for any homicidal Edward Cullens.

"Look, it's a cave!" JP yelled, probably being more ecstatic about it than it would have really called for at this particular moment. It's like he was trying to let all of the hungry, carnivorous Digimon here know where we are.

As we approached it, Zoe remarked, "It's almost too perfect, like it was dug out by someone." _Yeah, that's what we all wanted to hear right now._

"Or dug out by some_thing_," Tommy corrected, probably making his imagination run buck wild. And he was probably making a few others' run amok as well. And then making all confidence just plainly…run.

"Hey! Anybody in there?" Takuya shouted out, his voice bouncing off the walls and echoing duplicates of it in various volumes, eventually growing softer before completely dying out.

"God, that's smart Takuya. Let all those ravenous Digimon know that we're just outside their house and asking if we can be their next meal," I scoffed, tempted to smush this moss into his face. _Then I could call him a headlight! Hehe…eh, that was a bad one…_ "And besides, I thought going through holes in the wall was something you weren't supposed to do. It's a law in a metaphorical book they call Common Sense."

Suddenly, Bokomon let out a really high, loud yell. When we turned to look at him, we saw him on the ground holding his arms up in front of his head. "I feel like this place is a ghost cavern full of evil actoplasmic DigiSpirits! I knew I should have stayed behind, but did I listen to myself? NO!"

At that moment, there was something heard moving around in the foliage, a blur moving a high speeds. It seemed a bit too small to be Edward Cullen, though there were probably things that movie never said about him, like how he could shrink into a smaller size and grow batwings, just like the classic vampire. It flew up into the higher branches of a tree, disappearing out of sight.

"Did you guys see that?" Tommy questioned, although since everyone was looking in that direction, it seemed like everyone had.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Takuya demanded, shouting up into the brush with a big scowl on his face, like someone had just stole his last homemade chocolate chip cookie or something. Not that I'm speaking from experience…

"Who's there? Show yourself!" a voice echoed back, its voice a rather high key, but still imitating his tone note for note. It was just like it recorded his voice and used a voice changer to make him sound all funky.

"What are ya, a parrot?" JP snapped.

"What are ya, a parrot? What are ya, a parrot? What are ya, a parrot?" Now it just seemed to be mocking us.

"Ooh! I got one!" I exclaimed to the group, and then turning to the mysterious Digimon. If they imitated exactly what you say, then I'd be a total genius as to say this, just for the fun of it all. "I'm stupid!"

"_You're_ stupid!" The voice came back.

I received a few taunting chuckles from the group as I hung my head, somehow knowing that that was going to happen. I was like Bokomon in that way; I never really ever listened to myself. That was probably one of my biggest faults I could find in myself without taking a while to go through my life story. "Crap…"

Zoe suddenly apparently got inspiration from the insults and the mockery of merely repeating our words, enough to drive us completely bonkers. "Hey, I know!" she piped up, putting a look of 'leave this all to me!' on her face and held a look of determination for whatever reason. "Beetles battle better in butter!"

The reply came immediately. "Beetles battle better in butter!"

The Warrior of Wind then grinned triumphantly, like she made the world's most important scientific discovery, which I somehow seriously doubted. "Just as I thought!" she then concluded, seemingly about to keep all this information all to herself. She always did seem to have a big problem with sharing.

"That's great. Do you wanna clue us in?" Takuya questioned, looking at Zoe with the total dur, gogglehead look that always seemed to be on his face when he was confused about something. And since it was always there, it didn't surprise me one bit. _He even had it on that day…_

She then grinned a really prissy smile, like all was happy and joyous in this frickin' world. "They're repeating what they say, so let's confuse them with tongue twisters!"

Takuya looked at Koji, while giving an "Uh…okay….?" sound. "Six sick bricks might bring back a snack!" he shouted up at the trees. _Where does he get some of these? Does he sit around thinking about dumb things to say?_

"Six sick bricks might bring back a snack!"

Tommy put on what may have been his game face. "Peter Piper picked and poked a pack of pickled peppers!"

"Peter Piper picked and poked a pack of pickled peppers!"

"Toy boat, toy boat, toy boat, toy boat, toy boat, toy boat, toy boit, toy bwaa!" JP bit his tongue and scowled up in the general direction everyone was looking. I wasn't sure really how they all knew it was—whatever it was—was right there in that particular spot.

"Toy boat, toy boat, toy boat, toy boat, toy boat, toy boat, toy boit, toy bwaa!"

I had one all thought up in my mind. One that was kind of ironic to where we were and how dark it was, even though it was the middle of the day. "Haha! It's my turn now!" I outbursted suddenly. I cleared my throat and began, "You've no need to light a nightlight on a light night like tonight. For a nightlight's light's a slightly light, and tonight's a night that's light. When a night's light, like tonight's light, it's really not quite right. To light nightlights with their slight lights on a light night like tonight." I gave a loud exhale, that all coming out in a single breath and felt slightly proud of myself of getting through all of it without screwing up completely like I normally did.

But my bubble burst as soon as they got through it like it was totally nothing, no challenge at all whatsoever. "You've no need to light a nightlight on a light night like tonight. For a nightlight's light's a slightly light, and tonight's a night that's light. When a night's light, like tonight's light, it's really not quite right. To light nightlights with their slight lights on a light night like tonight."

"It's no use, we just can't trip 'em up!" Tommy said in exasperation, kicking the toe of his shoe in the dirt to express his annoyance in the smallest way possible. I began to realize that there really was no reason why we actually went through all of that work of thinking of tongue twisters and then attempting to say them. It suddenly seemed rather demeaning to me actually, having done all that when we could have just walked away from whatever they were.

"Oh yeah?" Koji ran up and chucked a portion of his moss up at the tree, setting it aglow and revealing what was residing up there and making a fool of us. I quickly learned that it was my acclaimed Edward Cullen, which in fact was a bat. _Vampires turn into bats, I was close enough. I'll get you next time, Cullen, just you wait…_

"My goodness!" Bokomon suddenly exclaimed, looking up at the bat-thingy. "Those creatures are Pipismon. They're mutant Digimon, whose power is greatest in the dark. They can reflect sound back exactly how it's heard." At the mention of their own name, the Pipismon flew overhead and took refuge in the cave. "For cave-dwelling Digimon, they're really rather gentle. Even if they are a bit scary-looking."

Zoe smiled and looked as though she wanted to go up and try to hug them all. "Well, between us, I think they're kinda cute!" she squealed, looking at Bokomon like she was thinking 'scary? Are you nuts?'

The Pipismon closest us beamed in contentment of what it just picked up and echoed back. "I think they're kinda cute! I think they're kinda cute!"

"I'm amazed to find peaceful Digimon in such a dark place." Bokomon cocked his head to the side, as if he just said something intelligent. Though it kinda wasn't, since it was an inquiry that just kinda proved himself wrong about his own theories.

"Well, I guess it turns out you're glad you came," Takuya stated, smiling, probably mentally noting that it was him in the beginning that started the whole little rally of going through the Continent of Darkness, instead of going around it like most people seemed to prefer doing. When Bokomon outwardly exerted his confusion on the gogglehead's words, he continued, "You just learned something. If you hadn't come, you wouldn't have known about this. It's a good that you took a risk."

Koji turned to look at the normally-smart-but-not-so-much-right-now Digimon, making me assume that he surprised just about everyone with his offering of kind words and advice. _Some people think he's just suck a jerk sometimes. The ignorant morons. _"If you're not sure about something, there's really only one way to find out: That's to take a risk and go experience it for yourself!"

I gave the hint of a smile, noting that if Koji could say something nice, I could too. I wouldn't be just a deadbeat sourpuss. _Wow, didn't think I'd ever call myself that. _"They're right. As C.S. Lewis says, 'Experience: the most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God, do you learn.' Or you could think of Mark Twain, who said it in more blunter words, 'If you hold a cat by the tail, you learn things you cannot learn any other way.'"

"Well, bless my buttons. You're right." Bokomon looked at us like he just said the dumbest thing he could think of.

I crossed my arms and said flatly, "You sound surprised."

"Why don't you write it down in the book?" Takuya suggested, smirking, probably using this situation as an excuse to get a good mention. He was probably waiting a long while to ask to be put in that ugly green book. _A radish-head garden gnome with an ugly green book that has weird squiggles and his face on it. Ugh, I can only imagine where he got that from…_ "You'll be the first Digimon to chronicle the Continent of Darkness! You'll be famous!"

Bokomon seemed taken back by this little suggestion, probably the fame part getting to him. "Well, I…Really?"

Zoe smiled, also seeing why Takuya was so excited in being able to mention this. "Sure! And since you're writing about Digimon, maybe you could write about us! The true adventures of the Legendary Warriors! You can say how I controlled my Beast Spirit!" _And right to her own fame and fortune. How considerate._

"I'd like to be mentioned! You could write about my cool hat!" Tommy cut in, apparently finding his own puffy mushroom hat cool. I couldn't help but wonder what he stored in that thing.

JP, learning of the ongoing conversation, ran over and bent over in front of Bokomon, who seemed to be becoming more overwhelmed with words and requests of stories told of them. "And mention how fearless I am!"

As Bokomon was talking about recording everything that's happened so far, Takuya nudged me in the ribcage with his elbow and leaned over to talk to me. He questioned to me with a big grin, "So what awesome feat do _you_ want in Bokomon's book?"

I crossed my arms and avoided his gaze, making sure he didn't see the smile that came on my face from his consideration of asking me of my opinion. "Eh, I don't really care if I live in infamy forever or not. It doesn't really change anything. If they honor my death with a big fat ceremony, why would I care? I'm dead. I don't really see much point in it, really," I answered quickly, mentally noting things that I'd want in some sort of book, but not in one that my fellow Warriors could read. And not one written by Bokomon, to boot. _I can write my own book, and I'll put whatever the hell I want in it…_

After giving my answer, it didn't seem like the Warrior of Flame really took my answer as truth—which it really wasn't, so he really wasn't all that far off—and gave me a hard signature slap on the back. "C'mon, buddy! I can tell when there's actually something you're hiding, and I know there's gotta be _something_ that you want mentioned in Bokomon's crayon-colored green book. So spit it out, Kaz."

The little metaphorical lightbulb lit up above my head. "Maybe when I whacked you over the head."

"When did you—?" WHACK!

I shrugged as if I was indifferent about this whole situation, but really I was getting a bit of satisfaction out of it. "You're right. There _was _something I wanted to add. That was fun enough that it makes it worth mentioning. Thanks for the help, Takuya." I gave him an it's-all-sarcasm-buddy grin and again gave him another blow to the side of the head.

"You just really hate not hurting people, don'tchya?" he questioned, rubbing his head with a scowl placed upon his face. He seemed a bit pissed off at me, though I could see through that expression that he was also getting some amusement out of this. It wasn't too often I really pissed him off through and through, I just enjoyed toying with him a bit.

I held my index and thumb of my right hand about an inch apart and held it up. "Just a little," I admitted haughtily, trying not to laugh at his I-figured-as-much expression that was currently stationed in the vicinity of his face. Before I could follow through with the laugh, I stopped myself, making sure to keep my self-control in check. Too many times did I give the hint of who I was. I had to stop making that mistake.

I grew silent and turned away from him, knowing even if I hid my laughter, I shouldn't have been enjoying myself, especially in a place like this. Crud, if I was lucky enough to hold my façade this long, then I shouldn't put it down and make it all the easier for fate to slap me in the face. Yukio wasn't all that hard to imitate: Lazy, obnoxious, just the sheer definition of a _shiseiji_. And as it seemed, I was doing a pretty good job with that. I had never Spirit Evolved to help anyone, and I was highly sarcastic, so I think that covered it pretty well.

I dropped my head and began to walk away, sneaking off without anyone really taking notice. I wished for some time to myself to think, though still hoping I wouldn't be attacked, or my group would walk off and disappear without a trace. I wasn't really afraid of such a place, I just found it probably as the best idea not to get separated when completely unarmed. Avaruusmon had my D-Tector, probably planning something big with it, but there was the little voice inside me that told me not to lose hope, and she hadn't removed the Spirit from it just yet, probably waiting for an order from Cherubimon.

A distance out of earshot away from the group, yet in such a place I could remember my way back, I placed myself down on a fallen log. There were many strewn about, and it didn't seem natural. But nothing really did here, I had to remind myself. But this was the absolute least of my worries. I had so much going on in my mind, thinking hard about my dreams I had earlier that day. _Were those Memory Aura visions of my past? Why does it have to make me think of things I just don't want to? I just wanted to get past that memory—though I guess I wasn't giving in the effort, anyway. I'm still a jerk, I still remember those days like crystal. I didn't need any ability to remind me of that…_

I bent over, and using the tip of my index finger, I dug into the loose, moist soil. It had been a while since I actually traced lyrics into the ground like I had back when I first got here, but it didn't mean I had to stop. So, moving my finger to make words in the dirt, the lyrics began to appear on the ground, "_And now I try hard to make it, I just want to make you proud. I'm never gonna be good enough for you; I can't pretend that I'm alright. And you can't change me._

"'_Cause we lost it all. Nothing lasts forever. I'm sorry I can't be perfect. Now it's too late and we can't go back. I'm sorry I can't be perfect._

"_I try not to think of the pain I feel inside. Did you know you used to be my hero? All the days you spent with me now seem so far away, and it feels like you don't care anymore…"_

I leaned back and straightened myself, my back giving a loud, grinding crack in this process. I then proceeded to roll my neck, getting the same painful response. At this action, I heard a voice from directly behind me say rather bluntly, "My neck just hurts just watching you do that."

I placed my hands upon my legs and sat in a slightly hunched over position. My head was down as I turned it side to side, making it crack all the more. "Probably hurts you more than it hurts me, then, Koji. I think it feels nice. Reminds me I'm still alive. Being in a place like this, that's something I got to remind myself of frequently," I answered back quickly and honestly. "Though, I think my chiropractor will be a bit pissed when he sees my neck all screwed up. He'll probably think I was trying to be an owl or something."

I heard the Warrior of Light chuckle to himself. "That's more logical than going to a different world and turning into Digimon in order to save it the clutches of Cherubimon," he pointed out, placing his hands upon my shoulders, making me straighten my back up again. His touch was so light I barely felt it.

I shrugged, taking in his soft, warm touch that brought me comfort that I didn't even know that I needed. "That's true…" I trailed off, going back into thought about my past life at home. It felt like when I got here, I just started over, my old life was something that needed to end, so I was merely reincarnated here in the Digital World, with a new purpose, a new being—two beings. Yet I still could remember that of my past life, as I decided to call it at that particular moment, which made this difficult for me. I didn't really know which problems to focus on.

He then, taking me by instant surprise, began to rub my shoulders, causing me to tense at the first feeling of it, but then fall into the trance of his soothing touch. "You okay, Mirai? You didn't really seem like yourself back there. And even now, you seem kinda spaced-out. Is there anything wrong?" he questioned, moving one hand up to my neck, curing an area I didn't even know was sore until he started massaging it, probably from cracking it so much. But even then, the contact of his hand made it almost immediately subside.

I looked out into the distance, through the trees into the darkness before me. "I was just thinking about stuff. This morning when I was sleeping on the Trailmon, I had some dreams that got my head kinda up in the clouds. I think my element was taunting me by showing things of my past. Nothing to worry about though, Koji, I'll be okay."

He didn't really seem ready for the conversation to end so quickly. I was thinking that he was expecting a long talk about something. "All right…"

I laughed quietly. "Now who's spacing out?" I questioned lightly, sighing, proceeding to cock my head to the side in order to rest my cheek upon his hand and closing my eyes. I could feel his steady pulse, a nice little continuous beat. It was relaxing, being the only repetitive rhapsody in the silence of the Digital World. And although I truly couldn't hear it, with its time, I could hear melodies playing themselves within my mind.

The thing I was known for way back when: I loved music. I always had lyrics swirling and unraveling in my head, sometimes escaping where they were locked up through my lips. I remember Takuya always said that was my greatest talent, my muse, the thing that could keep me going day in and day out, what kept me from crashing.

My eyes snapped open. He always found his way back into my brain, so often I just wanted to bang my head against a wall just so I could think about the pain instead. I told myself time and time again that I moved on, that I _wanted_ to go on with my stupid. But the thought always returned to me of what would have happened if I didn't go on, I turned around and just went back. I didn't want him, nor did I need him. I could find my own way in life just fine without his existence within it, it's what I've been doing for those years I forgot of him. Maybe it was for a reason, however, that he came to the Digital World, that _I _came to the Digital World. Was it just a fluke we were both here? A fluke that we knew each other before hand? It must've been.

Koji was here with me now. He treated me with a respect that that jerkface couldn't compare. He meant so much more. I wasn't just the distant loner with no feelings, just a heart of ice. _I _had _feelings_. I knew what I felt, and I didn't want anyone to tell me different. And maybe in the past, I let my emotions control me, but I found that I was changing in that notion. Coming here was an eye-opener, one that told me to get over myself and look for just what Koji happened to be.

_But why do I still feel angry? Why am I not satisfied?_

"That has to be something, Mirai. I can feel that tension," Koji stated suddenly, breaking me out of my thoughts. He wasn't looking at my face or anything, he somehow sensed how I was feeling, that wave of emotion that just fell over me. He had a very good sense of picking up mental energy, noting how my neck probably tensed when coming to my thoughts. "Just tell me what's wrong and maybe I can help. And if you don't want help, just say so."

I bit my lip. Koji seemed to always be taking the blows of my doubts and fears, yet he still continued to come to my aid. I didn't understand such gestures, I kept betraying him, yet he continually found his way back into my heart. Why did he go through such pain just to find favor with me? "Koji, can I ask you a question?"

His hands slid off my shoulders and back to his sides as he sat down on the log right next to me. "Shoot," he answered, figuring this would probably lead into the long intense conversation he was originally predicting.

I remained quiet for a few moments, trying to sort out all my thoughts and think of the proper question at the same time. I found it extremely difficult and irritating. Finally, thinking I came up with a somewhat headstrong inquiry, I answered him, "When do you think you dwell on the past too much? I know you remember stuff so it can help you in the present and the future, but when's it going too far?"

He looked up at the dark, gloomy clouds above that peeked through breaks in the barrier of leaves. His expression tightened, as if glaring the sky down, daring it to some sort of unknown challenge. He almost startled me by mumbling, seemingly to himself, "Yesterday is history, the future's a mystery, but today's a gift: that's why it's called the present…" He then looked at me, his sea blue eyes shining as if he had found his purpose. "Dwelling is different from learning. It's like what we told Bokomon earlier. The past helps you learn for the future, mistakes and things that you can do different. But when you dwell upon it, it takes your focus from things up the road…" He stopped suddenly, blushing a light pink. "Sorry, I'm not doing very well at this, am I?"

I smiled. "You're doing just fine. You just happen to be…telling me things that I already know." I put my hands on my lap and just stared down at them after saying this. _Am I really taking this too far? I can't be…he's been so aloof that I don't think that he really actually cares at all. Stupid gogglehead._

"Well, then—" I cut him off before he could continue, which seemed to surprise him that I gave such an unexpected response.

I got to my feet, turning back in the direction of which we left our group at. "We should go back. They're probably wondering where we went off to…" I kept my eyes upon my shoes, making sure I didn't mention any names, namely one in particular. This little spat was going to take some deep thought. Maybe it'd be something to keep me occupied and allow me to ignore some shrewd comments that'd make me blow up. It'd test my outmost amount of patience, and ignorance.

We trekked back in silence, only the sounds that would have frightened Tommy and Zoe keeping us company. I could feel a chill in the air, a sign appearing in the back of my mind that something was about to come forth. It was probably the Time part of me. I felt things that were to come. What frustrated me a bit was I couldn't see really what it was. The things I could only see with distinction were things of the past. I couldn't look ahead and see what was to become of this life, this world, this hole I dug.

The rest of the Warriors came into view. They seemed to be awaiting our arrival, Bokomon yelling something about getting a move on so he could get something to write about in the tales of the Legendary Warriors. But as we were a good hundred feet away, suddenly the largest tree that had been standing right next to us began to topple over.

Making a mad lunge out of the way, the tree hit the ground with a loud boom, sending dirt and dust up into the air in a large cloud. I blocked my eyes with my arm, the attempt failing miserably, and I coughed a bit of collected dust from out of my lungs. Going to a crouch, I scanned for Koji, feeling at fault for not checking to see whether or not he moved in time. But I gave a sigh as I spotted him mere inches from the trunk of the massive tree, positioned in a skillful crouch. My guess was he saw that a mile off.

_W-what was that?_ I gasped a hoarse, unsteady breath, trying to calm my mind from the panic it had undergone from those few seconds of terror. I felt sweat instantly begin to make its way onto my forehead. I could feel a few droplets fall into my eyes and sting like a burning flame.

"Yous and you journey are about to be cut short, small fry." Looking through the thick cloud of dust, I saw a figure standing a short distance away, a tall shape with a burly upper body in shade of wooden brown. I had been acquainted with this very Digimon once before, I could recall. Arbormon I remembered.

"Yeah? Says who?" Takuya snapped, putting on his guard in that single instant, glaring at the figure that was standing upon the log he had felled. I had managed to get to my feet and back away pretty much unnoticed, which was probably most likely to my benefit. He seemed like he could take down a human with a single shot.

"Take a guess!" He jumped down off the tree trunk onto the ground where I was at one point lying. And although I had made it out of the way in time, I assumed his main attempt was to squash me under his large self. And that would have worked too if I was just a little more thick-headed and ignorant.

"Not Arbormon again!" Bokomon cried as the Warrior of Wood got into a fighting stance.

"Good guess!" Arbormon laughed, putting up his fists and preparing himself for the fight I'm sure we all knew was coming. But hey, what's one measly Warrior going to do when he's totally outnumbered? And not to mention he wasn't all that tall; maybe taller than the average human, but many could surpass his height.

And now to show off his strength, he leapt up into the air. "Power Pummel!" He somehow detached his fists and feet, which apparently were attached to long extending cords, and he struck the unwary Pipismon. Immediately from the blow, their Data began to appear and he scanned them without a second thought. "Woo yeah! Feel the power, baby! Oh yeah, that's good…" He then flexed his muscles for round two. "That was an appetizer, you kids are the main course!" He pronounced 'appetizer' with a long e, which I found strange. "Arbormon Slide Evolution!" But he then was enveloped in Fractal Code and in his place came a huge leafy lizard. It had a long, split tail and large spikes running down its back. Its body was covered with grass and foliage, with scarlet-colored, dry leaves around its neck. "Petaldramon!"

He let out a loud yell and darted through where the majority of the group was standing, making them all scatter into all different directions, like he was trying to scatter a flock of sheep or something. But whatever animal they ran like, they sure did it pretty well, although I think the large Beast Spirit of Wood missed his target. He didn't stop and then crashed into the cave we were about to enter previously, making it all cave in. From there, he was running around like a madman, trying to knock down the whole crappy forest, which for all I knew, he was actually attempting to do.

_What the hell is he doing? I doubt he's trying to clear a way for a larger Digimon, since it seems all he's doing is trying to reek havoc._ I observed the rampaging Warrior as he ran right past me, ignoring my presence or just not seeing me, knocking down trees that conveniently enough for them, happened to be in his path. And I, luckily enough, was not, so I just watched in slight confusion as the Beast went barreling past. _Someone's got a few unsolved anger management problems…_

I saw the bright, near-blinding light of Spirit Evolution and then took notice of my group's Beast Spirits. The thought made me boil up inside. All of them—every single one of them, I found out at this moment—had their Beast Evolutions, JP becoming MetalKabuterimon and Tommy taking the form of Korikakumon, the two new acquaintances of the group. I was the one held back. _Why is so? What do they have that I don't? Nothing, that's what. They're pathetic kids that have no idea what they're in for. They're gonna end up getting themselves killed, blown away by something they find out in the very last minute they can't handle. But by that time, it'd be too late…_

"Why do you look upon them like that, human?" A voice sent a chill my spine, freezing me to the very core. I spun around, seeing a dark figure standing directly behind me, towering over me. His armor was dark grey with hints of burgundy, his eyes were a deep blood red. Upon his body were many staring eyes, unique from that on his face, of which was mostly concealed by a mouth plate. Long blonde hair fell down from the back side of his helmet, the same hue as that of Lobomon's, the same length as Agunimon's.

I remained silent, staring into his eyes. I tried to hide my fear, but he was a Digimon, he could see right through that mask of a faked confidence like I didn't even have it. In truth, he terrified me. I could literally feel his dark aura pulsing from his being; he was pure evil, a creation made of sheer darkness, I was sure of that. A memory—voices speaking in my head—flashed in my mind for a single instant.

"…_You play by the rules and that puts you at high ranks with our master, just as Duskmon, the disheartened moron. All because you're Cherubimon's dear creations, that is why he sees you as dominate..."_

The memory of the day I first met Avaruusmon replayed in my mind. I could feel her evil then as well, just as the Digimon standing before me. Lekismon had compared Avaruusmon to another Digimon that lived under Cherubimon's tainting hand. To assume this was the very same could have been a logical theory. Though there was still the possibility I was incorrect by thinking this. _Well, how much damage could a question do?_

My voice cracked as soon as sound came out, which was better than my thought that at first no voice was going to come out at all. I didn't know what was worse, showing fear by silence or showing fear in your words. "A-are…are you…Duskmon?" I asked softly, my tone being a little pathetic squeak.

This time it was his turn to say nothing. I took that answer as a yes, since he didn't seem like the salutation-loving kind of guy. But then again, there really weren't that many dark-seeming Digimon that did here, especially being in the Continent of Darkness. He startled me by speaking, though not even bothering to answer my inquiry, "You are troubled, Warrior of Time—" His knowledge of me took me by surprise. "—you do not belong with such weaklings. Avaruusmon has told me much of you. Cherubimon—" It also somewhat surprised me that he was the first to not refer to Cherubimon with a 'Lord' in front of it. "—has seen your loathing for such incompetence. And—" I cut him off.

I gritted my teeth, balling my fists at my sides. I tried not to be intimidated by him, so did my best to keep from his gaze. "I have already made my commitment, and that is under Ophanimon. I have seen how callous those corrupted by Cherubimon are, and to know that I'm no better than the likes of them makes me just want to stab myself, just to get away from the moron you serve." I knew I probably shouldn't be testing his patience, though he seemed too intrigued with me as to kill me off right away.

His voice gave no hesitation in his words, seeming like he knew exactly what I was going to say and respond with. "Yet you feel you are not of equal with them. You know you can do so much better—like you knew those years ago." His words became a slight sneer. "And yet it hurt all the same, despite that emotional binding with _him_. Cherubimon offers you a new binding, you can be bound to strength you saw in Avaruusmon."

I lowered my gaze down to the ground, trying not to unleash what came with remembering such things. I was hit so many times with that weapon that day, I thought I was going to give way and just lose it. I had to repeat thoughts of keeping cool every second. "I'd rather fight with Avaruusmon to the bitter death than side with her. Lekismon says we're alike in more ways than I realize, but I'll show her just how wrong she is. And if all you came here to do was tell me of what I'm missing, I think you can just pack up your eyeballs and just get the hell out of here."

I saw only the glint of anger in his eyes before I found myself lost of breath. Just under his grasp, I was caught struggling just for a single gasp of air. I could feel the life just draining out of me as he made out the cold words, "It's your own mistake, human. Just like the mistakes you've blamed on all those around you. Really, it all comes back to you." He made certain that he locked eyes with me, crimson to violet. "I can see it all written within your eyes. You believe you have everyone fooled, you think you made them believe you're strong, but the only one you're fooling is yourself."

I managed to glare daggers at Duskmon, showing my growing hatred towards him in that single glance. I couldn't understand why or how he knew such things about me. Somehow I didn't believe he just read it all from my face. _Can I really be that easy to read? He doesn't even know me and yet he knows me…? Tell me the truth, Duskmon, what has Avaruusmon told you? What has Cherubimon told you?_

His grip around my neck tightened as he began to make his way to the clearing that had been burnt out by a combination of BurningGreymon and Zephyrmon's attacks. Arbormon lied upon the ground before me and I could only watch, striving to gain what could be my last breaths. My last moments could have been caused from suffocation from a Digimon I couldn't fight back against, and not just a slow death, but while my allies were watching.

"Ko-koj…" I couldn't make out the name of the one I truly wanted to fight for me, and yet, there seemed to be something inside me telling me not to try to get his name out of my lips, since I didn't deserve life, especially if I demanded it saved by someone who didn't deserve to be hurt in a useless cause.

I heard, however, the calling of the last person I wanted to hear the voice of. "Kaz! Let him go!" _Now don't go doing anything rash for me, Taky. That never ends well for, ow, anyone. _

"Yeah, fight fair!" Zoe yelled out, agreeing with Takuya. _Not you, too. Don't let bygones be bygones just because it's a hostage situation. Fight, will ya? Just fight, _subeta_! You never cared about me before, so why start now?_

Arbormon got to his feet, turning towards Duskmon. If he had lips, I bet he would have been smiling in relief. "Well, here comes the Calvary. A friend in need is a friend indeed, right?" he questioned, a request to help destroy the opposing Warriors that seemed to be about to scan him if Duskmon hadn't shown up.

"Wrong," Duskmon scoffed, throwing me to the ground with not a single hint of concern if I got away or not. But to be honest, I was too scared to move from my place, for that chance that if I did, he would decide to kill me. A sword slid out from where I assumed his hand was hidden, a jagged blade the same bloody color of his eyes. "With your Beast Spirit gone, there really is no use for you, is there?"

I looked at it briefly and saw my reflection on the colored steel. I could see that I was shaken to the very core, scared to a point that my face was as white as a bed sheet; I had my hands up against my neck and I was catching my breath, each gulp of air burning as agonizing as the next. The very places Koji had rubbed my neck that very night were marked colorless from where Duskmon held a grip that if he so desired, could have snapped it and killed me with the single flex of his muscles.

With a single flash of his blade, Duskmon slashed Arbormon across the chest and instantly his Fractal Code became visible. Without a single hesitation or even thought of the fact that he was destroying his own ally, of whom he could have destroyed us all with if he couldn't have already, he scanned his Data. _Okay, this dude's got something wrong in the head. Destroy his own ally, but not me? Why? …Not that I'm complaining or anything, I'm not the type of person that likes to be destroyed…_

"He destroyed his own friend," BurningGreymon gasped as they all eyed Duskmon in a distrust that could be clearly seen. I saw some eyes trail back onto me a few times, but only for a split-second did I keep my gaze away from the Digimon standing beside me, of whom could quite possibly be the reason behind my doomsday.

I found myself quivering at the silence that lied upon us, a tension that could have been cut with a knife. A cold stillness settled around the group, I could hear my breath trying to make a steady pace, still not quite recovered from that suffocation. And even though they stood there glaring daggers at each other, I knew Duskmon was expecting a fight, and seemingly, he was completely confident in coming out on top. Something made me think nothing less of his strength, knowing that this could be a fast victory for him if he so desired. But right now seemed like he felt like it was a time to merely toy with the Warriors, to see what they were truly made of. And by the glint in his eyes, it seemed like he was already deciphering what they were planning.

And I knew they were in for a fight. A fight that my allies could not win.

* * *

**There you have it people. Chapter 20 is one of my fastest-written chapters. And because of this, my poll will stay open until chapter 21. I didn't get that many voters, so for all you who didn't vote yet, I'm begging you to do it now. Pwease?**

**Anyways, ciao! r&r please! =^.^=**


	23. Chapter 21

**I didn't know I was going to update so soon! Geez, I totally surprised myself. With a length of fifteen pages, I could've done better, but I found a perfect place to stop at the last five minutes of the episode. The ball is beginning to roll and I can hardly stand it! ^-^ I've been so excited to write these upcoming chapters that I've been just flying through them! *huggles Takuya* And some of it features you, buddy!**

**Takuya: Okay...wait, what?**

***chuckles* Anyway, there were some presented questions in a few reviews, so I decided to answer them here and now! It's my first time answering reviews in my author's notes! Yayz! Ahem anyway, moving on with the answers:**

**13wolfsbane: Yes, it's coming up and I've got it all planned out already! ^-^ And no, all I can say is that it wasn't Koichi. Nice guess, though!**

**Angelwings12: The answer is simple: Edward Cullen is not a man; therefore, apparently he can sparkle all he wants.**

**Shiningheart of ThunderClan: Yeah, of course! I'd be honored! Arigatou! :3**

**Toshiku Yumari: Taky, hands-down. No contest. *continues to huggle Takuya***

**Takuya: Why do you keep talking about me? Are you signing me up for a contest? Warn me before you sign me up for ANYTHING!**

**Me: ...oops...it's kinda late for that...**

**Takuya: What the hell did you do?**

* * *

Chapter 21

Red eyes transfixed on his opponents standing before him, a wine-colored blade drawn and held at his side. He was clearly awaiting the first strike to come from them, since he made no effort to move at all whatsoever. Actually, I couldn't even be sure that he was even preparing for battle, since he didn't seem to even have his guard up. So either he was just that overconfident in his abilities, which I doubted, or knew already that he was going to win no problem. I had a strong feeling it was the second choice.

"Who is this guy?" BurningGreymon questioned, thinking hard about what he had just done to one on his own side. That was probably everyone's thoughts over there, and he merely was putting them into voiced words.

Duskmon let out a menacing laugh, as if all this was simply nothing more than just a game to him. And it might as well have been a game, too. "I am Duskmon. Legendary Warrior of Darkness." His voice was cold, that feeling that always gave me a frightened, hard chill that came upon me like an a-bomb.

"Well, that explains the outfit." _Now's not the time to make wisecracks. Don't you know you could be fighting for your lives here?_

The Warrior of Darkness raised his sword and pointed it directly at group, looking down it like it was the barrel of a gun. "You have done well against my brethren. Let's see how strong you really are. Show me your power." He slashed his sword and a bright red beam shot out from it like a razor, ripping up the ground below its path like it was nothing.

"All he did was swing his sword!" Korikakumon exclaimed, after the group had managed to dodge the high-powered blow. The attack didn't even seem like an actual one, he was just merely showing off how much power he had in a simple motion.

Zephyrmon took to the air, looking down at Duskmon with worry in her eyes. I couldn't see the feeling, but I knew it was there. It mainly was displayed by the cracking of her voice. "I've got a bad feeling about this…"

"C'mon! There's only one of him! If we defeated Grumblemon and Petaldramon, then laughing boy over there should be a piece of cake! Remember: We're Legendary Warriors." BurningGreymon exhibited his overconfidence like there was an actual reason to have such hope. He swooped down towards the lone Warrior. "There's no way we can lose!"

_That _oshiri_ is going to get himself killed, and it'll be no one's fault but his own._ I furrowed my brows, thinking about how completely useless I was at that moment. No Spirit, too much pride to swallow, and for what? So I could watch the stupid Beast of Flame destroy himself? Is this really karma, or is it an evil Digimon's entertainment? Maybe I did want him gone, maybe we've had our big differences, sure I'm reminded of it day in and day out, but really. Did I truly want such a moron killed for a reason as meaningful as trying to save a world that's not even his own?

MetalKabuterimon raised up his arms and shot a bolo of electricity, which was sent spiraling towards Duskmon. "Bolo Thunder!"

Even though he was hit directly, Duskmon laughed as a cloud of smoke arose. BurningGreymon, the hopeless, death-ridden dimwit, flew through, cutting through the cloud, and tried to punch the what he thought was an unwary Warrior. "Laugh at this!"

At that moment, the Warrior of Darkness vanished from sight. But then, he suddenly reappeared behind the Beast of Flame and flipped him onto his back with such fluency that made it appear as if he weighed almost nothing. "You're weaker than I thought. I should at least give you the chance to surrender."

"You can give it, but we won't take it." _JP, you're so stubborn. Maybe you should give up; face it, your attack did nothing against him. Nothing. To keep fighting and wasting energy would be completely demeaning. Do none of you understand that?_ I watched the group line up in preparation for a group assault and probably fast discussion of what they should attempt next. _Why do they persist on trying to defeat him? _

Duskmon looked upon them with emotionless eyes. He was completely unharmed, despite the attacks he had taken directly. In fact, he didn't look the least bit exhausted. "You are proving to be very foolish creatures."

"JP! Tommy! Switch to your Human Spirits!" Lobomon commanded, a plan most likely forming in his mind. _Koji, I thought you would have seen by now…_

The two Digimon complied. "Right! Slide Evolution!" In the place of the two larger Beasts, the two Human Digimon, Beetlemon and Kumamon took their stand in a somewhat defensive, somewhat offensive battle stance, not knowing what Lobomon had planned.

"Let's go." They ran at Duskmon, the Warrior of Light pulling out his sword of harnessed energy. "Lobo Kendo." He lunched up into the air, raising up his sword, and came down only to lock swords of his opposite-elemented Warrior. I could feel their auras battling it out, striking against each other. Pure darkness versus pure light, and neither one seemed to be faltering.

"Each of your attacks seems to get weaker, not stronger. You must know you can't defeat me."I could see smugness in Duskmon's eyes, in knowing that the victory would be his. And it probably gave him more satisfaction to see that they knew it too.

"Little help here, guys?" Lobomon glanced back at the group that was coming to his aid, but Duskmon used this to his advantage to slip away from the standoff he was in and give himself an even larger advantage by using the element of surprise. "Where'd he go?"

The Warrior of Darkness showed himself in the air above them, pointing all of his eyes and his arms toward them "Deadly Gaze!" A shower of bright red beams came down at rapid speed, though it was simple for such Digimon to dodge, and ripped up the ground where they were once standing and battling him.

I had narrowly avoided being like the turf that was demolished, making a hasty lunge out of the way. I had lost my balance almost as soon as I had gotten up off my feet, the energy from the attack thrusting me forward a few feet away from the attack epicenter in a prostrate position, pointed rocks sharpened from previous attacks jabbing through my skin. I could taste the salty bitterness of blood in my mouth and the feeling of crimson oozing from various cuts making me feel very much alive, yet still making me loath what most people would call luck for such avoidance of death. Curling my fingers into a fist and gathering up loose soil and rocks, I managed to lift my head, only to gaze up at Duskmon's rough, dispassionate face, of which was angled back down at me.

I barely succeeded in making out weak, quiet words. "I moved from my place, so are you going to kill me now? Do what your last attack didn't?" I didn't really know for certain why I was still threatening him. He had the upper hand from the very start, and now it was only getting increasingly easier for him.

He chuckled in that villainous manner he's been found to do. "You blind human. If only you had seen before. Maybe your _friends_—" He spat out the word like poison. "—would have had more of a fighting chance if you just believed in them. It's your fault for them being so weak; you found a reason not to have faith. Humanly weakness." He lifted my weak, defenseless body up to be face to face with him. "But you forget one factor: they aren't human."

"I can't believe that _kuso_," I scoffed uncaring of his words. My beliefs lied deeper than he could possibly realize. "Deep down, they are human, as much as human as I am. We make human mistakes, we feel human emotion. Spirit Evolution is nothing more than harnessing inhuman power and abilities. Nothing more, nothing less." I bit my bleeding lip, not giving hesitation, despite how much more it hurt doing so. "They are still the same person through it all."

He looked into my eyes, interpreting what I was saying. "You still linger on memories of the past, Warrior of Time. And that, I can vow to you, will be your down-falling." He withdrew his sword from his one free hand and held it near my neck. "And all for that Warrior of Flame, human? I see it as a waste. Life could offer you so much more, but only if you open up your hands to receive it."

I quivered uncontrollably, Duskmon's words sinking into me like a rock dropping to the bottom of the sea. I felt stone cold, yet my heart beating like an engine going into overdrive. All I could feel was fear, a consuming flood of emotion enveloping me, trying to drown me and making me act upon first impulse. "H-how do you know so m-much about me?" I tried to make it sound like a fierce demand, but my voice became not much more than a pitiful squeak.

He didn't even blink, keeping his eyes into mine at all times. "If you thought hard enough, surely the answer shall come to you, without my reply. But it all depends on how much you open your eyes." His sword came nearer to me, though I was sure it was just a taunt. If he wanted to kill me, he would have much sooner. He wouldn't have just made sure that I was injured enough to be in an irritating pain like he had, he would have ended it quickly, I was sure.

"You're one to talk, you walkin', talkin' eyeball!" BurningGreymon stood up and towered over Duskmon. "You might want to close your eyes for this one! Wildfire Tsunami!" Fire began to discharge out of his body and just before contact with Duskmon, the Warrior of Darkness cast me aside with a single flick of his arm, confirming my thought that he didn't want me dead. In reality, he had just saved my life. From Takuya.

As I hit the ground just feet away from the cyclone of fire Duskmon was now trapped inside, I felt my leg buckle under me and a painful snap, causing me to yowl out in agony. I tried to lift myself back up and I saw my leg was shaking violently in effort to hold up my body. I had a good assumption that I had twisted it hard, but not quite enough to throw it out of joint. At least that was enough to be thankful for.

"I can help you out if you want, Mirai." I turned around and saw Lobomon standing before me, wearing a few battle wounds. But he didn't wait for a response from me and lifted me up. He then veered around, spotting BurningGreymon. "Takuya, get out of there!"

"Why? I just defeated him!" the Beast of Flame contradicted, like he was watching and waiting for the flame to disperse so he could see the charred remains of another Warrior. But something told me that one little attack wouldn't put Duskmon out of the fight that easy. And that something was complete common sense.

Lobomon ran over and confronted the fire Digimon face to face, giving him a disbelieving expression. "All of us _combined_ weren't able to defeat him, and you think you did it by yourself?" he snapped, thinking he had lost his mind, which he probably had. That deduction was made a long time ago, so he was just reiterating.

"Well…yeah!" BurningGreymon shrugged, like Lobomon had just asked the most stupidly obvious question in the world. In a way it was very obvious, but with a different answer than Takuya had given him.

"Just come on!" The Warrior of Light took off running with that said, making the cocky Warrior of Flame left to chase after us, talking about how well he hit Duskmon, of which in my opinion wasn't very well. He probably hadn't even left a single burn mark on the Warrior of Darkness; if anything, it made him feel all warm inside. And with this fact probably mutual to everyone in the group, we ignored Takuya's ranting.

After we had gotten a safe distance away, everyone De-Spirit Evolved and began walking to a stone temple-like structure about a half-mile away. An essence of sourness seemed to waft over the group, Takuya in the back of the line, keeping his eyes off of the rest of his comrades, namely Koji, who at this point made an effort of using his being as a manner of crutch I could put my weight upon. No comment, though the looks covered it, was made in this act of kindness from the lone wolf. And I had made no sort of remark, either, not feeling in the mood to really talk, even if it was to Koji. Everyone was around and silent, so they could eavesdrop without even trying.

I felt rather at fault for that battle. I knew Duskmon was right about my negativity and lack of support, how it was making the entire group suffer. But I didn't really find all that much place to care at that time, wrapped up in myself and my thoughts. And now I had that carried-over regret to keep me company. Maybe if I would have given more effort, the outcome would have been different. But I was looking at it through my own point of view at that time, which in contrast to everyone else's, was a human view. What was _humanly _possible, they'd lose because deep down they were _human_ still, how much a _human_ could do against such a creature. Maybe that was because I was apart from my Spirit for so long; I could still feel the link between us, but it just wasn't the same. It had grown weaker, like we had grown apart. Like a friendship that is ripped in pieces because of differences between them. _But what would I know about friendship? What do I know being there for someone when they need you? What do I know about love?_

I lied my arm loosely around Koji's shoulders, making it seem casual and unsuspicious, putting enough weight on him to make myself just barely break a sweat in walking. A friend helping out a friend, that's all it was. That's all I wanted them to believe. Injury was a good excuse for exhibiting what they'd think us to be merely really close friends, if they even decided to call us even that. One loner for another, possibly. But after all I had caused, maybe I didn't even deserve to be called that. All I deserved to be was alone.

I felt rather bipolar at that particular moment, feeling I needed to blame someone for all that's gone wrong one minute, blaming myself another. I couldn't really decide which I truly believed in. Maybe that's something that makes me a normal human, feeling at fault for one thing, but knowing it's wasn't their wrongdoing to feel guilty for another. But yet, I felt remorse for the same thing I was blaming others for. Could I really call that normal? Nonetheless, what would you actually call normal anyway?

The silence was eventually getting to me, a little sound of nothingness nibbling away on my sanity. I wasn't really sure if I was glad that Takuya broke the quietness of the group. "Ya know, guys, the more I think about it, the more I think I really did beat that guy." He put his arms up to rest behind his head as the rest of the group groaned. "I can't believe an attack that powerful wouldn't do something serious to him, ya know." We ignored him, which only made him more agitated. "Fine!"

"Do you guys hear something that sounds like someone talking?" JP questioned, officially beginning the game of ignorance and avoidance.

"Not me," Koji answered without even turning his head to look at whom he was speaking to, though if he did, he would have almost hit his lips against my cheek being only a few inches short, "but if I did hear that, I'd say it was getting pretty annoying."

"Very funny guys." Takuya turned his head away in disgust, scoffing in a manner that shows exactly how little patience he had, and it still dwindling down to almost nothing. That is, if he already has nothing and thus are going into the negatives, along with his IQ. "You can play your little game all you want, but I'm telling you, that guy is toast! There is just no way he could stand there and take that fire attack of mine!"

"Yeah, right. Were you at some other fight? He took all of our attacks and didn't even flinch." Koji postponed the little game and began to talk logically. Well, at least someone was doing it here. So at least it wasn't a battle of wits. It was merely a battle of stubbornness.

"Ah, so you can hear me now, huh? Well, riddle me this, _smart guy_. How can you be so sure what happened after _you_ made us all run away?" He made sure that he passed on the blame to the Warrior of Light, making him know for certain that it was all his fault that Duskmon was still alive and breathing.

"Do you really think he's alive?" Zoe questioned, looking at Koji for the answer to this inquiry, although there was no real reason to even ask. Of course he's alive. Why would Takuya even _consider_ the idea that maybe he just finished the Warrior of Darkness off with just one puny little attack that came _after_ BurningGreymon was already injured. That only would have managed to make the attack all the weaker.

Koji's voice sounded cold and rough, knowing that this was indeed a serious deal, it was seriously life or death here with Duskmon around. "There's no doubt about it at all. None of us did any serious damage to him."

"So how we supposed to beat him?" Tommy asked, stopping in his tracks to await an instant, flat-out answer that may save our helpless _oshiris_ here. But nothing for certain was ever that simple as to quickly come up with a plan. And even if we could come up with a plan, what's the chances that it would actually work?

_We're not_, I answered mentally, curving my lips downward into a frown. Even if I had doubts of victory, I didn't even think we had a chance without them. I found a surge of negativity that couldn't have been removed even if I tried. But I didn't want to waste such effort as to do such, since there were more important, energy-consuming things I could think about.

We all stopped, despite what I really wanted to do, and Koji began to speak. "I don't know. We'll find someplace safe to come up with a plan." It seemed to surprise the rest of the group a bit that Koji didn't really know what to really say in response of Tommy's question. I wasn't all that much taken back; there wasn't much that was really possible to come up with.

Tommy's face fell glum at the response. "Then we'll never have a plan, because there's no place safe in this world."

_That's true…_I thought back to all the times I thought I was safe, all the times that our little group let down our guard just because of the appearance of our location. Like at Seraphimon's castle, when we all thought we were secure because it was the home of a Celestial Digimon, and thus, we were attacked by the evil Legendary Warriors and caught completely unready for an attack. They had the element of surprise, a factor that added against us almost instantly.

Takuya suddenly lost all of his self-control and completely blew up, seeing how depressed Tommy looked at that particular moment, probably releasing all of the negativity that he had stored up within him just building up until he popped. "You know what, Koji, this is all your fault! If you weren't _so_ eager to turn tail and run."

"Just what are you saying?" Koji turned and sent a furious glare at the Warrior of Flame, using the same tone as was used on him by his once-comrade, partner, and friend.

"I'm saying if we'd only would've have stuck around and worked as a team, we _might've_ beaten him!" I saw a fire beginning to blow in his eyes, a look that always appeared when something inside of him was being unlocked, something that was hidden and sealed for a long time.

"And what do you know about working as a team?" The Warrior of Light's eyebrows furrowed in a dense amount of frustration.

Takuya was swayed by this remark, as everyone else seemed to be at that very instant. "Whaa~! What do you mean?"

Koji looked at him like he was ten different kinds of a moron, like he was blind to not see his reasoning behind his statement. "I _mean_ you didn't look too much like a team player when you went in charging at Duskmon by yourself, did you?" He took a moment for Takuya to take in his words. "You could have been hurt, Takuya! Or we all could have been!" He glanced at me with a softened expression, knowing just what to say next. "You almost killed 'em, Takuya. It's like you completely forgot Kazuma was even there. It all came down to Duskmon. _Duskmon_, our own enemy, saved his life. For what reason, I don't know, but I know when things come down to that, I know things have gotten bad."

Takuya casted me a scowl, blaming me for all of this, as I gave him a blank stare back, having no real emotion in my face. "So? Maybe you should give _him_ the team player speech, Koji! The entire time we were in this world, I haven't seen him Spirit Evolve! I don't even know if he's supposed to be a Legendary Warrior! Why should we be going around and giving ourselves more of a weakness than we already have?"

I locked gazes with him, a spark igniting in me through his uncontrolled words. "Is that really all I am to you, Takuya?" I questioned rhetorically, my tone showing all flatness and lack of feeling. "Just someone who gets in your way, someone that keeps you from achieving your full potential? Is that all I've been to you? A burden? Just something that's completely useless and just takes up space? Would you replace me with someone better if you could?"

To this he didn't answer, a perplexed expression fading on and off on his face. His eyes dropped down to his shoes as his expression became solemn. "I-I never said that…" He trailed off, biting his lip and thinking hard about something illegible by just looking at his eyes. My curiosity made me wonder what it was. Something of the past, those years ago? Possibly. But I only could hope to give myself the contentment of that thought. But then again…

I suddenly felt remorseful for making him feel so downbeat ever so suddenly. I don't know if I preferred to see him gloomy or angry. "_Gomen nasai_…" I bowed my head and blocked my eyes from view from anyone there. I didn't want anyone to see that I had gone soft on one I'd hated for half of forever, brought myself down to a level where I was suddenly apologizing to someone that I had ever so recently tried to beat the crap out of.

He shook his head, lifting it, and looking at Koji with a hardened expression. His gaze flickered back to me for a split-second, a look of forgiveness written in his eyes, but in that next instant, they were back upon the Warrior of Light. He looked like he wasn't sure what he should blame him for next, as if suddenly everything was Koji's fault. Though I had to agree with Takuya: Most of this was my fault; I _had_ just gotten in the way.

Takuya was just about to protest about something when Bokomon cut in rather cheerfully, as if our discussion wasn't even remotely important, putting his fist into his other palm. "Well, I'm famished. Who wants to eat?"

The gogglehead nearly fell over the air. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? WE'RE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ARGUMENT!" he yelled, pretty much aligning himself at a complete slant that would make gravity mad at him, going up on his tippy toes.

"Being angered easily is a sure sign that you're hungry. Now let's get something to eat and discuss this like civilized people. If you can." Bokomon seemed very dignified while stating all of this, like we were just a pack of animals or something.

"Yeah, let's eat!" Neemon agreed, throwing his arms up into the air to show his being of the same mind with the white garden gnome.

"I'll second that motion!" Zoe squealed, putting up a single hand up, just so it didn't seem like she was completely imitating Neemon.

"Count me in!" Tommy added, also raising his hand. I began to wonder what was up with these people…Were they obsessed with defying gravity with their limbs or something?

JP put his hands upon his stomach. "Yeah, I'm wasting away to nothing…" He turned away and frowned. _And yet we can still see you. What kind of 'nothing' is that? I'll tell you what is: Something that we don't wanna see._

"And it will keep Takuya's mouth occupied," Bokomon stated as the Warrior of Flame shoved his hands into his pocket and scowled, turning his head away from the present group before him. People just really didn't seem to like him all that much today and it was beginning to show, gnawing away at his patience.

As the rest of the group began to walk on, I stayed where I was, giving Koji a look that said I'd catch up when I could, and made my way over to Takuya. He was obviously sour about this whole Duskmon-schtick, but honestly, I could understand why. Pretty much ever since we fled from the fight, he's been reminded over and over again that his attack wasn't powerful enough. It was just as he was told he wasn't good enough for something, despite how much he wanted it. Almost like the classic situation of the little kid wanting to go on a ride at an amusement park but being told that he was too short to go on. I was officially suffering from **P**oor **I**diot **T**akuya **Y**ielding. Aka, P.I.T.Y.

I decided to start off with something somewhat rough, making sure I haven't become a complete softy. That, I knew, would be strange, especially since if I suddenly went all nice and stuff, they'd think I was bipolar, although it already seemed that was so. "What are you going to do? Stand there feeling sorry for yourself all night?" I shoved my hands into my pockets, giving him a look that showed I wasn't completely cold-hearted.

He just glanced at me with a weird expression placed upon his face. "Why are you waiting around for me?" he scoffed rather flatly. "Trying to prove your worth here so I don't deem you as completely useless?"

I gave him a hard, yet meaningless punch in the arm. "Shut up, I'm trying to make you feel better, you moron." My expression lightened, remembering just barely to keep my goal here in mind as to not make enemies of my own comrades. "Ya know, you don't have to take that crap from those guys. I hope you've figured out that there'll always be fights between you and Koji, it's a gogglehead-loner thing that's been around for a while. Specifically four seasons."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Takuya stared at me like I had just lost my mind. Yeah, I would stare at me too. I didn't know where that really came from. "At first I thought you were going to make sense, but if you're not, I'll just walk away and—" I cut him off before he could give me a complete play-by-play of his preparations of escaping me.

"I'm getting to the stuff that makes sense. Sheesh, don't get your knickers all in a bunch." Another weird look as I merely sighed. "Takuya look. Let me see if you get my point with this. Okay, so there used to be someone I knew years back. And we were never friends at all whatsoever. We annoyed the _kuso_ out of each other—kinda like you did back when we got here, but that's not the point—and we had never got along, not even when we first met. You following?"

I got a response of a raised eyebrow, as sign I took as 'where exactly are you going with this?', and without a word I continued, "Bottom line is this: Despite whatever happens between you and Koji, whatever fights you may have along the way, I'm sure you guys will always remain friends. You'll never truly hate each other no matter how many times you get on each other's case and want—and attempt—to kick the snot out of 'em. And what you had here was something that removed a lot of bottled up pressure, it's perfectly natural. And all in all, I'm sure you're gonna improve with each other's help and kick Duskmon's sorry _oshiri_."

"But I could have defeated him!" Takuya persisted, still raging on about the same topic. I could see why Koji was so annoyed. "And I just might have, too, if we hadn't just ran away. If we had just stayed and continued to fight, I'm sure we would have—"

I gave him a sock to the face with a balled fist. "Takuya, just listen to me here. Despite the fact that I see why you were so angry at Koji, he's still right. There is no 'I' in team. And maybe Duskmon _is_ different, maybe we _don't_ stand a chance. Takuya, when I had talked to him, it seemed that he knew just about everything about me. Can you expect that to be something you'd see a normal enemy like we've previously faced? Takuya, I was frozen in fear from all the things he told me about myself. If he can do that, then there's gotta be more of a power source that he can tap into more than the Warriors we've already defeated. Face the truth: You can't go about this on your own."

He put his hand to his cheek where I had struck him and said nothing. He seemed to be pondering my words and searching for a response that just didn't seem to be coming. His umber eyes were clouded with thoughts that by his expression, all seemed to be spinning back around to Duskmon and the power that the Warrior of Darkness possessed that had seemed completely limitless and unconceivable. And that brought me to wonder about the mysterious Warrior myself.

If Duskmon held so much strength, how were we to really defeat him? That was the question that kept periodically brewing within the recesses of my mind. It was one of those questions that made you have to stop, think, and reminisce of the past events that had occurred that very day. And going back had brought me to another bunch of questions: Why did he spare me?

"…_You still linger on memories of the past, Warrior of Time. And that, I can vow to you, will be your down-falling…And all for that Warrior of Flame, human? I see it as a waste. Life could offer you so much more, but only if you open up your hands to receive it..."_

As those words echoed in my mind, they only allowed me to grow all the more confused. Was there a lesson here he was trying to teach me? Or was he just sparing me because my death was to come from something else? Avaruusmon or Lekismon maybe? Or maybe, I was to be my own destruction, tearing myself apart from the inside out from the perpetual emotion I had always felt day after day…?

I was nonplussed from hearing his voice disrupting my thoughts, cutting through my little daze like a knife. "Things must really be bad if _you're_ the one giving teamwork advice and telling me to straighten up my act." I noticed a flash of humor appear in his irises, though it was only short-lasted, as they were soon consumed by a flood of other emotions.

"You bet your _oshiri_ it is," I answered back quickly, keeping up a certain level of sarcasm that I felt had to be retained in all of my words for minimal amounts of abnormality. "Now let's get back and think of a somewhat good plan that doesn't get the tar kicked out of us. Capiché?" I gave him a nudge to get him walking and made sure to be walking slow enough so I didn't have to walk beside him, but still be able to keep him in my sight. I didn't want to call it the Buddy System, but that's pretty much exactly what it was. I wanted to keep an eye on him so he didn't go off and do anything stupid. Because, knowing from past experience, when he's like this, he's a total basket case.

We came to the large temple-ish appearing stone building. Before my entry, I felt a strange twinge I'd never felt before, like someone knew exactly where we were. I let out a hastened breath and spun around, my eyes darting from place to place. My conscience told me it wasn't Duskmon, despite how likely that was. Against my better judgment, I concluded that the best thing to do was go and investigate in secrecy. I didn't want to start anymore arguments between members of the group by going against some team agreement no one bothered to tell me about or any crap such as that. It just wasn't worth the risk of losing team morale. Not any more than we had already lost, that is.

I said not a word to Takuya about what I suddenly felt, and darted back into the direction of which we had previously come, ignoring how much my leg hurt, running primarily on ATP. The sound of my footsteps were the only company that I had by my side. Anything else would be nothing but something to be wary of. This was the Continent of Darkness, even the name of this place gave a reason to be overly cautious.

I cleared distance quickly in a sprint, stopping so suddenly I felt my heart jump to my mouth. I reached out my arm and grabbed a branch in order to force myself into a stop. Panting hard, I concealed myself behind the trunk of a thick tree and with my head veered around slightly, eavesdropped at the two Digimon speaking of secret matters, of which I could only hear the last few phrases of their conversation.

"…and the light of day shall rise not again on shadowed hearts. For all will be consumed and we will become one. And when such will occur, all will fall. None will threaten me at such an advantage."

I knew they knew I was nearby and listening. I immediately revealed myself to them and growled, "Avaruusmon…" I glared daggers at my nemesis, barely casting a single look of notice to Duskmon, who was standing next to her. "_Jigoku e ike_." I couldn't explain what I felt when I was near her. It was like anger and yet…understanding both mixed together. I knew nothing of this Digimon, yet it seemed like I knew of her purpose under a hidden level that I couldn't comprehend.

The Warrior of Space crossed her arms, flexing out the large wings that jutted out from her back near her sheaved blade. The steel of the hilt sparkled in the darkness, a splotch of blood staining it. Fresh, liquid blood. _How is there blood on her sword? Everything here is made of data…?_ "I have done nothing to you, and yet you say such things. Why must you act upon such compulsions? Allow me to guide you, young human. I can create a better you." Her voice was ice, enough to make the Warrior of Ice himself to shiver from the fierce chill.

I braced myself mentally for what was to come. "I don't need your guidance, nor to tell me that I have to improve myself. I can get by on my own just fine. I don't need your pity, your help, or anything you or anyone else thinks they have to give me," I scoffed, furrowing my eyebrows, thinking of what she may reply to what I had just stated.

To this, she merely laughed lightly to herself, an evil cackle that I had long since grown used to after coming here. "Pity? That's what you think I'm offering you? I think not, _subeta_. Pity is what _you've_ offered others, I've moved past that part of you and onto greater things than showing compassion towards others. You've forgiven, but never forgotten. I've never forgiven, and did more than just remember. Tragedy that the differences between us are such."

I gave her a vexed expression, taking her words into deep consideration for what they meant deep down. "You've moved past that part of me? What do you mean, Avaruusmon? Tell me!" I gritted my teeth and didn't move my gaze off of her masked face for a single instant, not even to blink for the chance she could somehow avoid answering.

She turned and glanced at Duskmon, sending the Warrior of Darkness a nod, before answering me, "Food for thought, _Mirai Kimishima_, food for thought." With that said, she leapt up and with a single flap of her wings, sent a powerful gust of wind that allowed her to gain the momentum to disappear nearly instantly.

Not sensing that little gut feeling of her presence, I averted my glare to Duskmon. "What did she tell you, Duskmon?" I demanded immediately, wanting to stomp up to him and just try to rip his brain out so maybe I could somehow tap into his memories and find out just what Avaruusmon said to him at that little meeting. Or any other time they spoke, for that matter.

His gaze locked mine, his deep crimson eyes speaking to me more than his words ever had. "Things you already know much of, yet you have yet to realize. That is all I will say, human. The rest is up to you and Avaruusmon." He then cast something with great speed towards me. I dodged the fast-moving object and it stuck fast into the trunk of the tree I was standing in front of.

I didn't take me that long to figure out what it was. A note and something else pinned onto the tree with the blade of a dagger. The other thing that was with the note was what made me go white in the face and completely stop breathing.

My D-Tector.

It was pierced directly through the screen, of which was as black as Avaruusmon's callous, selfish heart. It seemed like that feat didn't take all that much effort to accomplish, and that made me all the more worried. If the wrong Digimon got their hands on everyone else's D-Tectors, the little Digivices would suffer the same fate-influencing doom. With no D-Tectors, there was no Spirit Evolution. No Spirit Evolution, no hope of saving the world. And if we didn't save the world, our world, of which I could assume was deeply intertwined with this one, would be in peril as well. If it all came to that, no humanity, man and 'mon alike, would have hope of a bright future.

I gripped my hand on the hilt of the dagger and ripped it out of the tree, my D-Tector, and the note. The piece of paper fluttered to the ground and I gazed down at it, horrorstricken. In large letters written in blood, the paper read:

No defenses, no future.

No D-Tector, no Mirai.

I felt a freezing chill wash over me from head to toe. I knew the evil Legendary Warriors wanted all threats terminated, but this was truly the first time it had ever hit me like a bullet. The words, the whole threat of death, the blood it was written in; it all made me unbelievably ultimately scared and confused, both of a high rate I wasn't used to feeling. I had always tried to hide my fear, but now it just seemed impossible to conceal.

With my damaged D-Tector in my grasp, looking down at it bitterly, I just felt like sobbing. I continued to tell myself I was strong enough to surpass such obstacles, I didn't have to show that kind of emotion. Emotion showed weakness, I reminded myself, I don't have weakness. Weakness was for those unprepared, and now I was going to be ready for anything that came to be a threat to me. I didn't care that I didn't have access to my Spirit, I could do it myself, without its help. Or at least I hoped.

Duskmon took me by surprise by beginning to walk away ever so slowly, as if to build up the drama and tension. As his many eyes scanned the area, I heard him mumble near-whisper words that it seemed like he didn't even care or not if I heard, "…My search will be short-lived… As will they…"

This put me on guard. _He found them… _I gritted my teeth as I found myself at an all-out sprint Back to the temple. I had to get there fast enough to warn them of what was coming, at least do what I could, what my lack of a Spirit allowed me. There wasn't much I could possibly accomplish in a place like this without strength, but I had will. Hopefully, that, along with the quickness I possessed on my feet, would be enough to give the group my warning.

My heart pounding in rhythm with my footfalls on the dirt, I was praying to every divine being I knew of that I wasn't going to be too late to tell my allies of Duskmon. He seemed to be taking his time, as if he wanted me to get there and make them be prepared for him. He wanted to give them a fighting chance, or at least wanted to show off his power he possessed even when they were expecting him and his tactics.

I burst into the room of which I immediately saw JP, Zoe, and Tommy standing around by a stone slab. They all jumped at my fast arrival, but I didn't waste time for them to recover from the quick scare. "Duskmon is coming! Where's Takuya and Koji?" I demanded quickly, looking around with rapid turns of my head for the two strongest members of the team.

"They went out that way to talk," Zoe answered, seemingly still unsure of why I was asking. But I was already running for their said location. "Kazuma, don't start—" I cut her off, with a 'are you really that stupid?' tone.

"You're afraid _I'm_ gonna fight them if I go in there? They've got a much bigger problem than me on their hands!" I exited and finding another building close by, darted down the instantly-presented stairs, nearly falling down them in the process. Letting out a grunt, I swerved my feet around in such a way that I was lucky that I had caught myself. Though despite all of the sounds I had made, it seemed to not have broken the spell that seemed to be over them that trapped them in the intense conversation they were having. I found myself spell-bound as well, curiosity making me stop and wonder why Koji had the expression he was wearing, forgetting about the situation at hand.

Koji had a tight expression on his face and he was up against the wall. The way his face was curved to be so stern and how the little amount of light that showed through made it appear he wanted to strangle the Warrior of Flame standing before him. "Sometimes, I really don't think you do," he scoffed, answering something Takuya had said that I had missed. "There's no second chances for us, get it? If we mess up here, it's over!"

Takuya had his hand causally in his pocket, like none of this was a big deal, and he dropped his head down to the floor. "Y-yeah, I know that…" His voice cracked and revealed exactly what he was feeling. He was terrified of the truth.

"Then how can you stake our lives on some plan that you only assume going to work? We don't know anything about this guy!" The Warrior of Light was spelling it all out so simply; I didn't understand why Takuya kept persisting that he was right.

"So what? Will we all be safe if we run away?" Takuya threw up an aggravated fist, threatening Koji through such simple body language. His words seemed to take more of an effect on the lone wolf than that gesture.

"I didn't say that!" He glared daggers at Takuya, losing his cool under all of the words that fell out of the gogglehead's mouth. When things made Koji hot under the collar, I knew that whatever had caused such was going much too far.

This was the point where I hated seeing Takuya reach. He lost all of his self-control and released all of his anger at one single melting point. I had hardly seen it happen in the past, and it petrified me to witness it every single time. "Then what are you saying?"

Koji grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and spun him around against the stone wall, making sure that this time he did get the point the Warrior of Light was trying desperately to show him. A point that could under it all save their lives. "Listen, Takuya. You weren't there when I crossed swords with him, okay? I doubt he was even using _half_ his strength against me! That whole fight, all he was doing was playing with us!"

Takuya's confidence seemed to lower by this remark. "Y-y-yeah, okay, maybe…" But yet, he still continued to persist. "But we're the good guys. There must be a way to win…" He seemed to search Koji's face for an answer, but received none.

"He's too strong!" Koji's eyes were clouded with a cold, firmness that showed how determined he was in proving to Takuya just how serious this situation was. Duskmon wasn't about to go down without a real fight, one that could cause pain or maybe even death among the group. And I knew the Warrior of Flame wouldn't be able to handle the guilt for feeling it was all his fault. It would crush him, and he wouldn't let anyone else take the blame.

Takuya raised his head up for another struggle. "I know he's strong, but every time we've run into someone more powerful than us, we've worked together and everything has turned out fine! I really believe that if we just attack as one, we can't lose!"

"Ugh, Takuya, open your eyes…" Koji seemed to be losing all of his hope of making him understand what real threat lied beneath.

And this was the ending blow, one that had ended many fights before it. "Open your own eyes! We're more powerful together than you think!"

Koji stared at him and scanned his face for a long duration of silence. Eventually, he just gave up and released his grip on his shirt, sighing for that lost cause. "You just don't get it, do you?" He turned away from the Warrior of Flame, looking off back up the stairs into the outside world. "Tell me something. It's obvious you don't care about yourself, but can you promise me that the others won't get hurt? Because if you can't, you should just go home now. Because I won't let you risk their lives…"

He began to walk away as the earth began to crumble and the stone above us began to break. Takuya voiced his wonderings, "An earthquake?" He looked up at the ceiling as fragments and dust began to fill the air.

Koji knew the real answer, as did I. Although I had totally lost sight of my whole arrival as the Warrior of Light answered, "No, it's him!" He eyed the area around us, primarily looking at the place we'd have to make our escape. And soon.

I gestured to the stairs, making sure I had gotten their attention. "The building will collapse if you don't get out! He's gonna make sure of that!" I snapped, heading up the stairs and glancing over my shoulder to make sure both of them were following. We couldn't risk losing any more Warriors, and that's a factor I was planning on taking control of.

As we ran for where a fight was about to begin, I said in between breaths, "I had come to warn you when you guys were arguing. But I know for certain what Koji said is something Takuya needed to open his eyes to, and that's more important than a few minute warning." I didn't look at either one of them as I said this, keeping my eyes on the path ahead of us. I kept my broken D-Tector in my grasp, holding it tighter just thinking of it. I was gonna help the Digital World with or without the ability to become a Legendary Warrior. And that was something I vowed to do. I wasn't about to stand by while the world got destroyed and consumed by evil, I'd fight to the death just to see the beauty of which I'd previously seen of this place return once again.

"You mean you could've warned us sooner?" Takuya snapped, his eyes flickering over at me and then returning to the path ahead. I could hear his annoyance, probably noting the fact that they would have been better prepared if I had said something earlier.

"And make you guys' lives end that much sooner?" I retaliated quickly, my vision focusing on everyone's Beast Spirits that were standing just up ahead and awaiting our arrival. "Has what Koji said not affected you at all?" I balled my fist and gritted my teeth, wanting him above all to know exactly what I was speaking of, but knowing he didn't. Why did he have to be so blind? Why couldn't he just allow himself to understand?

I heard him give an annoyed groan while ignoring me. He glanced at Koji and stated, "I guess we couldn't have run away from this guy even if we wanted to, Koji!" He seemed to be scorning him more than anything, rather than to state a fact. _Why must this tear them apart…? Why can't they become a team, not be torn apart…? Things shouldn't be like this…_

The Warrior of Light ran behind him instead of beside him and his gaze became more firm, knowing this could, and would be, a fate-affecting battle. I ran beside him and whispered to him a final wish before he went into the fray, "Please don't let him get killed, Koji…"

When he nodded back to me in understanding of what I was requesting, I gave him a small, fast kiss on the cheek, sending with that touch a hope and prayer that all shall the Warriors return safely to see another day that shines brighter than this. And with all of this, I requested a single, powerful desire that began to burn within me. I didn't wish for death, I didn't wish for revenge, I didn't wish for bloodshed.

I wished for life.

They both Spirit Evolved, Koji to KendoGarurumon and Takuya to Agunimon, and joined the rest of the group who were all in their Beast Spirit forms. I had no idea what the plan was, but either way, I could tell the rest of the group was rather positive in the concoction, but KendoGarurumon still wore an unsure expression.

"This is it guys! Attack!" I watched helplessly as Takuya lunged overconfidently into battle, seemingly forgetting about everything that we had told him that day. Though it is totally possible that he lost everything else when he went into battle, all focus upon his current mission. I just hoped this mission wouldn't get him injured. Or worse.

KendoGarurumon watched as Takuya just put his life in the hands of fate. "Wait!" He then turned to MetalKabuterimon, who began to speak in response to the Beast of Light's delayed exclamation to Agunimon.

"I guess we have to follow Takuya's plan now!" The Beast of Thunder answered him, although it seemed like he had no hesitations about it, at the beginning anyway. I assumed he was just trying to make Koji see what and where teamwork could get them.

"Hey, don't worry, it's a good plan!" Korikakumon had complete confidence in his self-adopted older brother to see that everything would follow through as he had told them. I wanted the belief of the small child, a hoping that everything could turn out all bright and all will see a shining future and a saved Digital World. But I knew better: Loss was inevitable.

"Let's hope so." It seemed that even JP saw Koji's uncertainty and was taken aback by it, since hardly anything swayed the Legendary Warrior of Light. And this, well, I think it had me and Koji both afraid of Duskmon.

I stood back behind them, feeling like such a coward, such a quitter. Me and my stupid pride got me at the point I was at. I looked down at my useless D-Tector with a solemn expression. Was I no longer a Legendary Warrior because of this? Was this what set me apart from all of the other kids that got on the trains, but weren't chosen? Or is this what I got for taking Yukio's place? I really was the unloved youngest child, the last one picked, no, the one that just wasn't picked at all. I was the little metaphorical ugly duckling. The mistake.

And now, this is what the fruits of my sins had given me. Takuya was casting his life to the winds, I made Koji vow to protect him, all the while, I was standing there just watching them open their hands up to receive the beating the Warrior of Darkness was freely offering. Some comrade I was. If anything, I was merely making it all worse. Maybe they had more of a chance of survival if I could assist them in battle, but there wasn't much I can do, I told myself. I held my hand to my heart, feeling the rapid beat of my stress making it go into a state of worry and panic, and I slowly closed my eyes, trying to hold the tears back that were gathering in the back of my eyes. "I want to help them…I don't want them to die…Takuya…Koji…"

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**There it is! Chapter 21! I know exactly what I'm doing for 22, so expect another quick update! ^-^ R&R please!**


	24. Chapter 22

**I can't believe I seriously forgot about the poll results! Gomen nasai! Anyway, the top result is Koji with 63%, second place is Takuya with 27%, third is Tommy with 9%, and Zoe and JP tied for last with 0%! Congrats, Koji, you're officially the character best perceived in my mind!**

**Koji: *unenthusiastic* woo.**

**Me: Ignore him, he's just pissed that all he does in this chapter is take a blow for Takuya and be thought to be dead. But don't worry, he'll get over it!**

**Koji: Geez, thanks for the support.**

**Me: ^-^ no problem! Anyway, back to my author's notes crap. This is probably one of my favorite chapters thus far, since I get to focus a lot on the past of both Mirai and Lekismon. Mirai not as much as Lekismon, but whatever, it was still fun to come up with. And I apologize that I didn't update as quickly as I had originally anticipated. Ten days since the last chapter isn't so bad, right?**

**On another note, I went to the theatre a couple days before to watch Eclipse. Excellent movie, I must say (have to feel a bit sorry for Jacob at the end, but that doesn't make me a Team Jacob. I'm neutral, although more for the wolves.). Sadly, not that much ammo for Edward-rips. I'll think of something, though. **

**I also watched the first episode of Xros Wars subbed. I. Love. It. To. Pieces. I can't deny that it has Adventure-y nostalgia to it. Taiki is an awesome character (with the world's cutest laugh! -^-^-) and I don't mind Akari that much, don't dislike her as much as I do Zoe and Mimi, she's like Taiki's mother more than his childhood friend (lolz, she swears like there's no tomorrow). But that other dude scares me. Zenijou or whatever it was. His hair is totally gravity-defying. And because of that very interestingly shaped hair, I call him Pentagon, just cuz of the shape. Episode 2 to air on the 13th! Can't wait!**

**Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

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Chapter 22

"_So who are you?"_

_I looked at his face. He had large, round chocolate-colored eyes that shimmered in the light of the warm summer day. His brunette hair feel into them and the way the sunlight reflected off of it, made it look shiny. He appeared rather easygoing and happy-go-lucky, the type of kid that never knew when to stop playing and messing around. He had been my type of kid. One to be best friends with. _

_Koichi laced his fingers in between mine, soothing how scared I was. I was a shy little kid, then, always trying every way I could think of as not to lose my hold on either one of my parents' or Koichi's hand for a single instant. "Talk to him, _imouto_…" he insisted in a small voice._

_I didn't want to answer, cowering behind Koichi, despite my thoughts about the boy that seemed to be just almost the same age as I. Although I found the courage inside me to give a quiet reply, "I-I'm Kimishima Mirai…" I quickly added softly, though trying not to seem overly pushy, since that's not how I was, "Who are you?"_

—_She said, I was seven and you were nine. I looked at you like the stars that shined in the sky, the pretty lights. And our daddies used to joke about the two of us, growing up and falling in love, and our mamas smiled and rolled their eyes and said 'oh my my my…'—_

_He smiled a bright grin as he heard me speak. It seemed to please him to no end that I was actually speaking to him. That smile was breath-taking, even then, the way it put anything that glittered and shined to such shame (namely a certain vampire that goes by the surname of Cullen). I had to restrain myself from going to him and giving him a hug. "Kanbara Takuya!" he answered, as if he should've been proud that he knew his own name. And I could assume that he actually was a bit self-righteous. _

—_Take me back to the house and the backyard tree. Said you'd beat me up, you were bigger than me. You never did, you never did. Take me back when our world was one block wide. I dared you to kiss me and ran when you tried. Just two kids, you and I…oh my my my…—_

_I suddenly had a burst of self-confidence in asking him, "So it's Taky, then?" I giggled quietly, in a way I had hoped he didn't hear, but did anyway. I felt my face turn rose red as a small smile crept onto my lips without my notice. _

_He laughed a cheery, all-in-the-world-is-no-less-than-perfect laugh that seemed to be overly contagious. I found myself instantly laughing with him under uncontrollable reasoning. Through laughs, he answered me, "Yep, if that makes you Miri."_

… … _... ..._

_I ran for all of my worth, not letting this chance of freedom escape my grasp. I was reaching for that goal with both hands and I had my arms wrapped around it, all I needed to do was claim it as mine. I had waited for so long for this. There was no way in hell I was gonna let this go. I had waited too long, and for such a small opportunity. This was my time to pull away from the prison that enslaved me and see what the world had to offer. _

—_Is this another complication I face? Here is the mistake coming back to catch me. To you I hold—_

_I made a leap in between the cars of the train, placing all my faith in those few moments remaining. I couldn't let myself get caught for doing such a move, especially since the train could depart from the station at any given moment. I was almost going to miss it. I had to calm myself over and over with confident words, trying to reassure myself that I indeed wasn't going to be cooped up at the small few mile radius I wasn't permitted to leave. Keep going, you're gonna make it…you're gonna make it… just keep on running…_

_Making a sharp turn, I made a sharp veer, a hard ninety degrees and entered the doors right before they shut just inches behind me. I had let my guard down too early; however, and smashed right into him. I secured my hat and my balance, but only barely. I was too caught up in staring and holding my breath to notice how close I was to failure and how exhausted I was. It was the first time I had seen him. Koji Minamoto._

—_Now I know that I'm alive. All the loneliness is filled by you inside. And as I finally breathe the air, you open up my eyes and now I'm alive—_

_His eyes laid upon me with a mystification unlike what I was feeling at that moment. I felt an adrenalin rush and tried so hard not to blush. His eyes were a crystalline blue, like the deep ocean, in it dwelling all the life any sea could contain. His face did nothing less than seemed to glow in radiance. It was perfect in design (better than any Cullen I had seen; at least he didn't sparkle, he glowed), emotions hidden, aside from the ones he wanted to reveal, but nonetheless, everything he did had its own source of beauty._

—_The lesson in breathing, is never using control. Seconds to misplaced, I've never been so unsure—_

_I felt like that tension couldn't have been shorter. I felt the static flowing between us, and even as he turned his head away, his hair swaying around in a vivid motion, I could feel such raw intensity flowing in the air. I had never looked at someone in quite that way before, not with this amount of new and unfamiliar attraction, holding in my eyes a sort of sweet and alluring…craving. _

—_Now I know that I'm alive. All the loneliness is filled by you inside. And as I finally breathe the air, you open up my eyes and now I'm alive—_

_It was like this wake-up call that I was waiting for for so long. Like I was always half-asleep before this moment, and now someone decided to dump cold, icy water over my head. But instead of that blast of irritating water, it was more like a soothing, blazing fire that made me draw nearer. I tried to resist that calling, but found it much harder than I had ever anticipated. I had forgotten all the negative emotions that drowned me, and I was finally getting that breath I had needed. After being submerged under the waves for so long, I finally had broken the surface and was taking in as much of the sweet air as I could._

—_To heights there is hope. It's been waiting all along—_

_When the realization hit me that I was just standing there gawking at Koji, I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me, and it felt like it was boiling. Just from that heat, I sensed my face become a burning-coal red. I actually found myself not seeming to care about that little detail, because now I felt a sense of something that had been buried deep inside me, just waiting to be discovered. I felt a force more than worth for the future. I felt hope._

—_Now I know that I'm alive. All the loneliness is filled by you inside. And as I finally breathe the air, you open up my eyes and now I'm alive—_

* * *

As those memories had played vividly in my mind, just as the days they had occurred, I began to find it harder and harder to watch Takuya attempt rashly to kick the crap out of Duskmon. He was losing, he never had a chance to win from the very beginning. He had become overconfident and overestimated himself. I wished I had never came to this world, there was too much pain, things had become a never-ending life struggle. I had to watch helplessly as the chances of death for the ones I cared about rose every second. _Why did I have to be called here? Or was this my punishment for taking Yukio's place, for some stupid mistake that I had made? Did I have to sit here and witness death that deep down I had caused? _

I wiped my eyes, trying to prevent any tears from coming. I didn't want to show this weakness at this time; it was a time to show strength. Yet it was growing increasingly difficult. "I wish I never came, I wish I never met them…Maybe then I wouldn't have to see them die…" I bit my lip, my emotions wanting me to look away, but my eyes not moving from the battle before me. I held my D-Tector tight in both hands, as if treasuring it above all things. "If only I had helped them earlier, when I actually _could _have done something…Maybe all this could have been prevented. No more false pretenses…" A single tear escaped from the corner of my eye, making its way down my cheek, and dripping down. I tried to compose myself and began to pray for dear life of all before me.

Agunimon gave a hard kick to Duskmon's face. The Warrior of Darkness turned his head back to face the attacker and merely laughed at his pathetic attempt at inflicting damage. "You fool," he sneered, "Did you learn nothing from our last meeting." A meeting, he called it. To him, that's all it really was. Nothing more than something to get our acquaintance.

"No…I can't lose." Agunimon began to tremble, the realization of inevitable loss beginning to dawn and take its hold on him. _But if he can't lose, then how can he win?_ He then proceeded with wildly throwing punches at Duskmon, as if he wasn't even aiming, just focusing on doing at least _something _to him. "He's so strong…" He ran at him once more, evaded his way around him, and held him in a lock behind his back, of which Duskmon made no effort to escape from. "Attack now!"

"That's our cue!" Zephyrmon yelled out, all of the Legendary Warriors going into action and taking their places. KendoGarurumon and Zephyrmon positioned themselves behind the Warrior of Darkness, and Korikakumon and MetalKabuterimon in front. A deathly silence filled the gap of time before they all launched their attacks at one common target. The combination of all of the elements created an encasement of multi-colored energy.

It engulfed Duskmon and seemed to have completely disbanded all of the data that held him together. But it was too soon and too weak of an attack to have assumed it did as much as destroy him. It was merely impossible for one attack to be enough, even as a unified force of many Warriors. And sometimes, I wished I just wasn't right. He not only survived the attack, he _absorbed_ it.

He turned away from my direction and gave Agunimon a dark, hateful stare, his eyes deep with loathing and detesting. "You shall be first…"

From that moment, everything seemed to move in slow motion. His sword moved in a slowed blur, and at that very second, I knew there was a promise I never should have forced Koji to make. He was protecting Takuya in keeping of his vow, he was saving the life of the one who had been destined to die. He was being the scapegoat I had made him become.

The instant the Fractal Code cocooned Koji and his fell limp to the ground, I lost all of my control. I dug my fingers into the cracks of my D-Tector Avaruusmon's sword had made, gripping it enough my fingers began to bleed. "Duskmon, I will never forgive you for what you've done to him!" I screamed, stepping towards him, casting daggers upon him. "You were so callous! You showed no mercy to him! And now, you've gone too far! I won't stand and watch the ones I love get hurt! I may have cared less in the past, but that's the old me! The new me is gonna kick you're _oshiri_!" I saw a bright glow begin to emit from the cracks in the screen of my Digivice. _A new source of power…_ Streams of data began to swirl around my hand. "Execute!" The entire D-Tector erupted into a blinding light.

"Beast Spirit Evolution!"

I felt a surge of energy flow through my body like electricity. My Human Spirit never provided this sort of strength. It rippled through my being and I yelled out. Visions blurred in and out of my sight as my human body was replaced with the form of a Beast. An enhanced wave of knowledge and wisdom filled my head, things known that could have only been acquired through the past. Things I could use for my future. "Laikasmon!"

I could feel the vigor of the Ancient Spirit coursing through my new body. I had silver, feathered wings extending from my back, metal plates protecting the bones that gave them their shape. I wore a steel chest plate with the symbol of Time emblazoned upon it. Covering my four paws, were spiked plates that went up to just below my knees, blades in the back of each that curved slightly downward in a somewhat crescent shape that shimmered in the night. Around my feline-like tail, was a silver ring, similar to a Power Ring. And my face was like that of a cat, my eyes a deep shade of mauve. Upon my face, however, was a steel mask that that was tight to my skin came down to a point over and just below my nose to look like a beak, and giving the entire mask the look of a bird of prey.

Duskmon merely laughed evilly at my feat of Beast Spirit Evolving without both a functional D-Tector and physically not even possessing the Beast of Time until this moment. "I was wondering when you'd give up being a coward and fight me. And it seems that time is now." He held his sword in position.

"You bet your sick _oshiri_ it is," I growled, bracing myself for the very worst. "So give me your worst, _shiseiji_." I was daring him to attack me, a notion I never truly tested before. It must have been the power of the Beast Spirit driving me forward to test an enemy who wouldn't hesitate for a single moment as to destroy me. And to be honest, though it may have been the consuming rage boiling up inside me, I liked this challenge.

"As you wish, little _kitten_." His mockery was digging down into me, and with the already-developed anger that dwelled, I couldn't take much more without trying to rip him into pieces. But I was sure that was his main intention. Make me so focused on getting revenge, that I lost sight of strategy. And that would just run me right into the ground. It would be Takuya's battle in repeat, and that is why I was right where I was. Why I was defending Koji.

The Warrior of Darkness came at me as a blur, his jagged, red sword gleaming from its drawn and poised angle. I sensed the direction it was to come and veered myself around so that I was positioned behind him. With my feline teeth, I grabbed a hold of his leg and whipped my head around, hoping to catch him off guard and put him down momentarily.

But he seemed to have anticipated my move, a fluid, mid-air motion that I couldn't interpret causing him to twist out of my grasp and be placed into a point that allowed him to swing his leg and strike me in the jaw. I stumbled back, stunned for a moment, a stinging sensation numbing my entire face. I shook it off and snarled, my eyes locked into his. To this, he merely cackled and taunted, "Is that all, little kitten? I expected more of a challenge from what Avaruusmon had stated. Unless you are holding back on me…?"

I bared my teeth, digging my claws of all four paws into the soil. "Why would I _ever_ go easy on _you_?" I snapped, posing myself ready, my back slanted downward like a cat ready to pounce. "You have caused nothing but suffering! You don't deserve to live!" I felt a bright aura emanating off of my body as I readied myself, the ring on my tail beginning to glow. "Shiorai Pionos!" Sprinting at full speed, I rammed my being into Duskmon, square in the chest.

But he didn't even flinch; it was like I just ran into a brick wall. All he did was avert his gaze into mine, showing that he knew already that the battle was his. "You really are a foolish human," he scoffed, swinging his sword into my skin.

I cried out in pain as my Beast Spirit dispersed into coils of data and I was returned with my human body. I held myself on the ground where I was, clutching the area where his sword had made contact. I was directly beneath him, staring up at him weakly. He gazed back at me in silent triumph, though not gloating upon his victory. I gritted my teeth. "You finally figure this I suppose I'm too much trouble than I'm worth." I could hear my own voice crack uncontrollably.

He held his sword to my neck. "You always were, human. I won't bother waiting for Avaruusmon to kill you off as she wished; you have overstayed your welcome." His crimson eyes showed no compassion, no regard to what the Warrior of Space had desired. All it held was repugnance and a craving for death. "And all of this for that revolting Warrior of Light. The mercy you show to those other foolhardy children, there is no meaning behind it all. Foul emotion."

I began to recite lyrics from a song to answer his statement, my voice slightly more confident, despite my current position. "_Tonight the sunset means so much. The one thing that you know you'll never touch. Like the feeling, the real thing, I reach out for that sweet dream. _

"_But somehow the darkness wakes me up. I've felt this emptiness before, but all the times that I've been broken, I still run right back for more._

"_You'd think that I'd learn my lesson by now, you'd think that I'd somehow figure out that if you strike the match, you're bound to feel the flame._

"_You think that I'd learn the cost of love. Paid that price long enough, but I still drive myself right through the pain. Yeah, well it turns out, I haven't learned a thing._

"_Sometimes I think I'm better off to turn out the lights and close up shop, and give up the longing, believing in belonging, just hold down my head and take the loss._

"_You'd think that I'd learn my lesson by now, you'd think that I'd somehow figure out that if you strike the match, you're bound to feel the flame._

"_You think that I'd learn the cost of love. Paid that price long enough, but I still drive myself right through the pain. Yeah, well it turns out, I haven't learned a thing."_

He chuckled at my little song implication, apparently finding humor in the fact that I found wisdom in someone else's words that they found a sweet melody to. "You hide behind the voices of others, because you can't find your own. Pity that is. You seem to love music, and to hear the sound of your own voice. A haughty human, just like all others."

"Can you help natural human emotion?" I bit my lip and thought of what I should say. "…That's the problem with humans, we love too much, we wish to see others happy." I looked bitterly over at the unconscious Warrior of Light. "And because of this stupid affection, I am driven to go against my common sense and survival of the fittest as to go and protect those who have done the same for me." I balled my fists. "I'd rather die than watch you destroy innocent lives! I care too much to let you get away with hurting Koji!"

At my words, Duskmon froze in place. "K-Koji…?" His crimson blade fell to his side and he staggered back away from me, looking up into the glum sky. "What? What is it?" He began to tremble involuntarily. "What is happening?"

A vision began to play in my mind, a memory that wasn't my own. Truthfully, I had no idea who it was. It was my Memory Aura showing me something of the past. It was a voice, the voice of a dark heart, I could feel. Filled with deep emotions, sadness, anger, loneliness. Emotions that reminded me of myself in many scarring ways.

_He was standing alone in a shroud of darkness. A blinding light appeared behind him, and he turned around, seeing Koji standing there facing him. "Koji... You're Koji, right? Koji, I wanted to meet you…" He outstretched his hand toward him and began to walk toward the boy veiled in light. "I know you don't know me, and I know it sounds a little weird, but I know you…" Koji turned around, and he broke out to a run to try to get to him. "No! Don't go! Koji, don't leave me!" Koji disappeared in a cloud of smoke, and the boy stopped in his tracks. _

_Tears began to fill his bright blue eyes, streaming down his face. He fell to his knees, gasping for breath. His face tightened, releasing his bottled-up anger. "Why won't anyone pay attention to me? Pay attention to me…"_

He withdrew his sword. "Koji…" Holding himself in his own arms, he yelled out and released a consuming blackness that absorbed everything and everyone. It was cold and empty, without any lightly. Pitch black darkness.

* * *

I picked myself up onto my knees, collecting myself and taking time for my eyes to adjust. _How long was I out?_ I wondered, looking around meaninglessly, for it wasn't light enough wherever I was to see clearly. I could hear the dripping of water, a repetitive sound that was the only thing that filled the silence that made me wonder where I was. It couldn't have been the same place, there wasn't any water there, aside from a single stream that ran by that temple we were at. _But where would I be that it would only drip?_

I suddenly jumped to me feet, nearly collapsing back down from a suddenly pang in my legs, but managing to regain my strength and hold myself up. "Koji…" My head looked from one direction to the next, not sure whether to make heads or tails of anything. I hung my head in guilt. "I could've—I _should've_—done better," I mumbled, kicking at the ground with the toe of my shoe, hearing a rock go flying off from the force and wishing it had been Duskmon. "My Beast Spirit just wasn't enough…" I felt around in my pockets for my D-Tector, and fingering it, I pulled it out.

It suddenly erupted into a blinding white light, and I saw it somehow restore itself, its colors changing from navy and violet to silver with burgundy grips and trim. The screen lit up and displayed my two Spirits. My Human Spirit, Gryphanimon, and my newly obtained Beast Spirit, Laikasmon in their figurine-like design. Even in that seemingly powerless form, I could feel the strength radiating off of them.

A feminine laugh echoed through the area. "Finally, you've retrieved your Spirits. I was awaiting a battle with you. Hopefully, you'll be worth that horrible wait that I bore through. If you turn out to be a disappointment, I'll have no choice, but to—" I cut her off, my anger boiling, and not exactly in the best of moods at that current moment in time. At least I'd have someone to take that aggravation out upon to get me in a better disposition.

"Oh, go jump off a cliff," I snapped, readying my D-Tector. "And if you can't do that, at least do me the small favor of showing yourself. Either one will suffice just fine, thank you very much." I glared into the darkness, not sure exactly where my enemy was, but sure I was seen just fine, which meant my expression was too.

"I think I'll go with the second. I'm not much of a risk taker, to be honest." A girlish giggle emerged from the darkness, confirming my suspicions of the identity of my concealed enemy veiled in the shadows. "And besides, if I did that, I wouldn't be here to destroy you, now would I? That wouldn't be much fun at all." If I could see her, I could've sworn she was pouting, giving the pathetic little voice of a spoiled kid.

I gritted my teeth, holding my finger over the side button of the D-Tector, prepared to Spirit Evolve. I wasn't sure whether to use my Human or Beast Spirit. My Human was weaker than the Beast, but my ability to control it the first time could have been a fluke, since I was trying to protect Koji. So now difficulties could quite possibly arise. _Human it is_, I concluded mentally, after going a through a few more thoughts. "C'mon, show yourself, Lekismon! The only thing you show by hiding in darkness is how scared you are!"

She chuckled, her silhouette appearing before me. "I'm not the one that should be scared, pathetic human. I wasn't the one that was just beaten by Duskmon in mere moments." I could see glint shining in her eyes. "That was you, was it not?" She was mocking me, a trait that I knew wasn't going to get her anywhere except into her DigiEgg all the faster. And that was something I was going to make sure happened that day.

I growled quietly, trying to contain all of my emotions and balling my one free hand, digging my fingernails into my skin. "You couldn't have done any better. In fact, you probably would have done worse than I," I scoffed angrily, "So why rub it in?"

"Tear Arrow!" A spear of ice flew at me, aimed precisely as to not actually hit me, but knock off my hat off my head, of which it did. A few centimeters lower, and it would have literally gotten me square in the forehead. "Ha, _now _do you honestly think that I would have done worse?" I didn't respond, and she continued, "Anyway, I rub it in because I know it to be true. You are a poor fighter, like you always have been. You rely on anger and rage to drive you. Horrible technique, Mirai. Downright atrocious."

"I'll show you just how horrible your fighting is, incompetent _subeta_." A ring of Data appeared around my hand. "Execute! Spirit Evolution!" I took in the familiar, yet seemingly refreshing feeling of Spirit Evolution's given power and felt it all return to me. I didn't know how I got along without Spirit Evolving for that duration of time, but nonetheless, it couldn't have been better. It was like reuniting with your best friend after years of separation. And in a way, it was. And I was going to make sure not to have to make a reunion like this occur again. I would make sure that my Spirits stay with me. "Gryphanimon!"

I curled my fingers and flexed them, reminiscing for the smallest amount of time what it felt like to possess such strength. I could now see clearly in this area, namely the dark cavern we was in. "Ladies first, Lekismon," I mocked roughly. "And if you aren't aware, I mean you. Just incase." Even though my mouth was concealed by a metal guard, I still didn't resist grinning and showing my emotions. I made certain my amusement could have been seen through the irises of my eyes. Just so she knew for certain that I was indeed making sport of her.

Lekismon gave me an annoyed stare. "Fine then. I shall end this quickly. Unless you really want to dance with me. Do you want to play, little girl?" A smirk made its way onto her face as she readied her Moon Gloves in a boxer-like stance. I knew from the fire in her eyes that both contenders wouldn't be walking away at the end of the fight. And she wasn't planning the one to go down to be her, as I wasn't, either. "Do you want to play a little game of risk?"

"Hell yeah. I'm gonna put my hand to the flame." I prepared myself mentally, going through the battle motions in my head. A little warm-up while we spoke of how we were going to whip each other's butt. It was a good thing that she threatened me too much; it gave me a sufficient amount of time to make final provisions and arrangements on a good strategy. "…But I'm not the one that's gonna get burned this time."

"Put your hand in the fire and the burning in unavoidable, little girl. I thought you would know that by now. You have played many a time with _the flame_." She made her voice a poisonous acid that made me wonder what she was trying to hint to me. Was there a particular risk that I took that she was referring to? And how would she know about it?

I threw my fists from before me down to my sides, showing off my impatience and my gathering pool of provocation, still keeping my fingers tightly clenched to my palm, nails digging in steadily. "Stop trying to psych me out, shut up, and fight!" I watched her warily, grinding my teeth, top jaw against bottom jaw.

She cocked her head to the side, as if trying to search out my weak spot in my armor and defenses. "As you wish, little Warrior." I could such arrogance in her voice, confident of victory. "Moon Night Kick!" She jumped up and lunged madly at me, her leg curved straight out towards me in effort to strike me.

I swiveled my body around, the movement feeling so easy and suave that it took almost no effort avoid the attack. I knew that was a mere warm-up, since it was much too easily predicted and much too preventable. I maneuvered back in her direction. "Is that really it?" I sneered, in turn rolling my own leg at her. "Strike of Thoth!" The claws of my feet intensified in size and grew much sharper than its normality.

She bent backwards in a way one would expect from one skilled in fighting and martial arts. Or some cheerleading or dance team captain. "Same to you, human. To be honest, I thought you would have improved from our first meeting, but I can see that I overestimated you." She parried back at me with another kick of the same sort, of substantially greater power and accuracy than the first attempted hit she tried to land.

We jousted back and forth for a long duration of time, evading each other's kicks and throwing our own. I could sense a building up of strength of her attacks, the velocity and strength steadying out instead of increasing. She was preparing for something different, I figured. Therefore, I tried to mimic her tactic, in hopes of at least standing a chance of what she may have arranging for. I assumed that even if I increased my power at that point in eagerness that maybe I could take her out before she had stored enough energy, I wouldn't have enough time to do enough damage to take her down. Unless I used my Beast, that is, but I didn't want to risk losing control. Because even Koji had difficulty controlling his, and that stood for a lot under my perspective.

My mind trailed back the Warrior of Light. How I was the one at fault for him being injured—maybe even dead. I felt a pang of grief shoot through my being at that thought, feeling a loss of all hope of everything at that very instant, a feeling of absolute uselessness and culpability for everything that went on with Duskmon. _What if he is dead? It would be all because my mistake, for forcing him to make that stupid promise…I'll never forgive myself, no one else will forgive me. Why even try to survive in a life where you know that you're fully aware someone—someone that means the world to you—isn't there anymore and it was all because of you? I wouldn't even be able to look myself in the mirror. Koji…please be okay… I'm so sorry for making you do that…Koji…_

I tried to get my mind off of the doubts I had and back onto the battle. But what was really the point of fighting anymore if the one that you bear through the fights to see the face of after it all just doesn't exist anymore? It was like the whole Digital World getting scanned by Cherubimon and yet still trying to fight for it. It was a lost cause, there was just nothing to drive you through it all. There wasn't going to be a bright tomorrow when you get up and smile, just knowing everything will be all right. Because things just don't turn out that way. People come and go, that's just how life worked. But it just seemed to be so hard to bring myself to continue rolling with these particular punches of perpetual loss and memories that seemed to all be a worst nightmare that I just couldn't figure out how to wake up and get away from.

I found myself grasping those thoughts tightly, like they were the last things I had to hold onto. I had always clung to all negativity and all of the thoughts of not carrying on. I knew I wasn't going to let go of Koji, never forgetting what I made him go through just because I was so wrapped up in the past, in a destiny that I just didn't want to rewrite. I was so caught up in the reluctance of losing the Warrior of Flame a second time, that I just didn't see what was going to happen if I lost anyone else. I risked the one that was actually with me in this world the entire time, the one that actually cared about my thoughts and opinions, bore with my constant, annoying neediness, and actually gave me the comfort that I was striving for. How could I look away from the one that I had looked to for so long? When he gave me support, why did I betray him and only support myself? Was I really that much of a conceited, self-centered fool?

"You seem highly distracted from our battle. Is it because you know now that you're going to lose?" Lekismon snapped me out of my thoughts, in between the dodging and casting of kicks. Just hearing how off-track she was, even if it was completely different from my pondered situation, made me think of how off-track and blind I had been. But then, she hit the nail on the head. "Or are you thinking of that putrid Warrior of Darkness, Duskmon?"

I made sure to lock gazes with her and glared serrated razors, trying to speak with my eyes, but nonetheless, still answering with my voice. "My affairs mean nothing to you. So just shut up. You must really be overconfident if you're wasting your time trying to read my face." I averted my eyes away from hers and tried to gain my focus back on the current struggle of kicking and dodging.

She laughed sinisterly, a matching smirk appearing on her lips in knowledge of her answer. "It's not overconfidence; it's complete assurance of my victory. Just watch, Cutie Pie." She backflipped and cast herself away from me. "Lekismon Digivolve to…" She was encased in a tomb of data as her form was reconfigured. "…Crescemon."

Her new form was Ultimate, being substantially taller than her Champion. Her skin was a soft pink, blue armor over her chest area and a metal mask covering the upper majority of her face. Several rod-like projections protruded out from her back, including two lavender ribbons that fell down from two spikes on her mask. There was metal plating over her feet, on her shoulders running down her arms, and covering her hands. She held two crescent-shaped weapons, Nuova Luna, with two new moons emblazoned on them, their eyes closed.

Her voice was also substantially deeper, sounding much more mature than her previously little girl sounding tone. "Maybe you're the one that's wasting your time. You're just a foolish child that doesn't belong her, a foolish child that never deserved what she got. That's why I'm here to strip everything away from you, one thing at a time. It's a consequence for holding too tightly, making bonds that you shouldn't, befriending those who are much too good for you." Her voice became as cold as eyes as she began to step closer to me.

I let out a growl, replying to her cutting words, "Spit out all the _kuso_ you want, Crescemon, doesn't mean I'll believe any of it. So if you keep exercising your jaw, I'll exercise my fist!" I lunged towards the newcomer rabbit Digimon, my hand clenched to see just how strong her armor was. And how much damage my fist could actually do to it.

"Feisty, but such rashness will get you nowhere. Maybe it did in the human world, the ways of which you could just threaten and get what you desired, but in this world, it's all about survival of the very fittest. Though even back then, you still had one that stood up to your threats, seemed to come back for more, even. Although all he did was try to make peace, and all you did was keep putting up invisible barriers. I don't know who was the bigger idiot. You, for being so ignorant of his desire of friendship, or him, for even trying to befriend _you_." She caught my fist with a near-invisible movement of her arm. "You think you are strong, but the only one falling for that lie is yourself. You think much better of yourself than you really are, for you're only one that deserves to be alone. Those of your past tried to teach you that, well…most of them, anyway. There was one that always found hope for you, a hope no one else saw. A hope that didn't even exist."

"I don't know who you are, how you know so much about me, or why this even matters to you, but let's get something straight here. Get the _fakku_ out of my past, _subeta_! That was a different time! I'm different now than I was then! Everyone knows that, and everyone can see that! Why can't you get that through your frickin' skull and lay off!" I threw my free fist at her in my rage, having no sense of aim or control at all whatsoever.

And with a nonchalant expression, she caught my other throw like it was a toss I wanted her to be able to catch. "Oh, so this is about presentation, then? What you seem like on the outside, not all the emotions you keep hidden in the outside?" She cocked her head to one side, looking at me in slight suspicion. "You were never one for looks anyway. Never had them, never wanted them. You never understood what made the other girls more special, and that made you an outcast. Too bad." She then grasped my fists and used that grip to flip me over her head and onto my back, all in such a motion that made it seem like I weighed nothing. "You won't have fit in any way with that temper of yours. No matter what you did, you always found some way to get into a fight with someone."

I felt all of the strength in my body leave me as the blue coils wrapped around me and my human self appeared. I barely found the strength to pick myself off the ground and got up into a crouch, facing Crescemon. _They made it easy…_I thought, answering her question mentally, not in the mood to physically reply. I knew that I would get myself into a point where I couldn't take back what I said and pay for it. Though it's not like I didn't deserve it. Everything she said was true in some demeanor at one point or another in time. But I continued to wonder how she even knew in the first place.

She strode over to me, putting one of her Nuova Luna down, and put her hand to my face, looking it over, as if examining it for any flaws, as I tensed, but didn't move, keeping my eyes on her face to show as much anger and hatred as I could possibly conjure into them. "It's really quite amazing what you can tell about a person by just looking at their face." She lifted her hand and then slapped me across the face, a burning sensation heating engulfing my cheek. "Not even plastic surgery can change how open of a book you are. Right, _Miri_?"

I found myself literally gasping at the remark in order to attempt to find the air that had left me at that moment. It had all fallen into place, all of the things she said, everything that she knew about me, why she thought of me the of the way she had, in such a way that she could actually be _jealous_ of something I had, but from only one certain perspective. One that saw me all negative, as only half of the image. I sputtered out the word, holding my hand to my burning cheek, "K-Karin?"

She glared down at me, as if I had the right to be on the top of the world, which I could hardly say was true. Anger filled her voice, like the poison that had once consumed it was taken over by rage and aggravation. Suddenly, she broke into a devious smile and laughed. "You really are an ignorant girl, aren't you? You were too wrapped up in your own little world this entire time, just as you were then. And notice where both instances got you. Then, loneliness. Now, _eternal _loneliness." She tossed her head to one side, cocking it in such a way that showed a sparked interest and curiosity. "But not quite yet. I want to be in the moment." She gave the girlish giggle I could recall back in the human world. "Just like I was on that very day back when. I _know_ you remember. After all, you were the one that ruined. Things were going so perfectly and—" I cut her off.

"Perfect, Karin? You call that perfect?" I lost my temper and probably the rest of my sanity right at that moment. I knew _exactly_ what she was talking about, what day, and how she thought I had ruined it. Except, under my perspective, _she_ was the one that ruined it, she was the one that had made me feel like crap the rest of my life up until now. Well, truthfully, she was _one_ of the reasons, there was still another, but I had to focus on one thing at a time. "That is the complete opposite of perfect! You took the only thing holding me together away from me! You left me for dead by taking the life I loved and was finally content with having! And for what? You could get what you want? The one thing you couldn't get by asking your _daddy_ to buy it for you and make his little spoiled princess happy? IS THAT IT?"

She erupted into an uncontrollable cackle that echoed all around us. "You make me sound like the enemy here." She ignored my stare that stood behind the words she had just scoffed out of her mouth. "Maybe it was your own stubbornness and ignorance that got you what you deserved. You didn't see the signs that he was just begging for more freedom than you were giving him. You were just so self-centered, as you still are to this very moment."

I gritted my teeth, wanting to take her apart, limb by limb until there was nothing left that could possibly oppose me. "Ya know what, Karin? I just don't care anymore. I want to leave the past in the past. Maybe I _did_ hate him, maybe I _had_ blamed it on everyone but myself, but that's history. I still come to times that I wonder what would have happened if we were still together, I have dreams of the past when things were much better than they are now. And even though there's still times where I wish I could just slap him and yell at the top of my lungs, I come back around into the wondering that maybe if things were different between you and I, we would have actually been friends. And maybe I would have stepped aside." I let a growl escape my lips. "But you never gave me that choice! You _took _him from me, and not only that, you rubbed it in my face! You made sure I saw what was going on, just so I got my just desserts. And that, above all things that you've done, makes me hate you the most."

She merely giggled at my response, all of that maturity development from Digivolving seemingly disappeared at the source. "You don't hate me, that is something I can be sure of." She continued, answering my look, "Believe it or not, I've been keeping a tab on you since you arrived here in the Digital World. You've developed too much to ponder hatred, much less display it. Sorry to burst you poor little bubble, sweetie."

A question appeared in my mind that I never had really taken account upon until this very moment. One that needed proper answering. "Karin, I want to know. How are you a Digimon? What happened?" I tried to hold back the anger she already had managed to stir up inside me, in a strained waiting for a reply.

She seemed to have expected my question, having put an expecting expression on her face. And seemed rather pleased that I asked, having asked a question about her. "I didn't get to choose to get on a train or anything like the Legendary Warriors had. And as you see, I am not a Legendary Warrior. I'm a full-fledged Digimon, unable to reform back to human state. That is because I have no real human state to return to. Well, not one I want to return to, anyway."

I eyed her warily, thinking that was all she was actually going to say. "That explains…nothing." I was growing increasingly impatient each given moment, having to listen to her nostalgically irritating voice that had always annoyed the _kuso_ out of me. But that was my own fault anyway, having asked her to explain why she was in this world and fully able to watch me in secrecy, appearing whenever she pleases to try and kill me for some sick game.

She cast me a quick glare for the rude interruption on my part. "I was still talking! Have you no respect?" She didn't wait for an answer, in knowledge of what my answer most likely would have been. "Anyway, you whiney brat, despite how much right now I want to rip out your jugular, I have strict command from Lord Cherubimon to tell you." She got past that fact, in avoidance of important, classified information that was banned from my ears. "Actually, according to my lord, I can do this and make my life a whole lot easier." She reached down and put her hand to my head, closing her eyes and putting a solemn look on her face. With these actions, a memory began to play in my mind, my view put into her eyes.

_Karin Yamaguchi was standing by an in-ground swimming pool, probably at her own house, her blonde hair down and wearing a red bikini that she must have thought complimented her body. She looked down at the clear, completely algae-free blue water with a smile on her face. The water had to be at least ten feet, possibly more, but nonetheless, it was possible to see right to the bottom without a single problem or the having the stare down for a long period of time. _

_There was no one around, just the sound of birds singing their songs to their mates to keep her company. Setting a beach towel onto a nearby lawn chair, she flexed her arms slightly and looked at her target place. Taking a few hastened steps, she launched herself and putting the tips of her fingers together, went for a dive down to the very bottom of the pool. She sliced through the water in a fluid motion, the water spreading apart by the v-shaped created by her fingers. _

_She landed hard on the cement pool floor, scrapping her arms and knees against the rough surface. She opened her mouth to grunt and water rushed in. Exhaling it out, she veered her body around to push herself back up to break the surface. Kicking to get in a good position, a searing pain shot up her leg, the pain of a leg cramp numbing her left leg and rendering it useless in swimming. So she used her other leg to carry her weight, kicking frantically to breach the surface of the water. _

_She began to lose air and began to panic, flailing every limb to get to the surface. Blackness began to fill her vision as she started to lose sight and knowledge of which direction was up. Darkness enveloped her sight from every direction and took over and she let it, unable to do nothing else than uselessly struggle in a battle against the water she knew she wasn't going to win. Her body floated up to the surface, the only movement being her hair freely moving with the waves of the water._

_But despite her unconsciousness, she felt very much alive. She found herself in an area of dark clouds, purples, blacks, and blues swirling all around her. She didn't know whether to feel scared or relieved. All of the pain was gone, but for what cost? Was this some weird life after death place, like purgatory, or was this what heaven or hell looked like? But if this was anything of her suspicions, where was everyone else? She was very much alone, an empty silence consuming her that rose her confusion of her current location._

_A voice spoke to her, a voice that was ice cold, from seemingly every angle. But no form was seen, there was no one but Karin standing in the mystical shrouds of darkness, so the fact that there was someone speaking to her made her feel haunted. "Do you wish to live? I can make you alive, very much alive."_

_Karin spun around, hastily looking for the source of the voice that was offering something that not just any person could simply offer her, not even the best of doctors, most of the time. "Who are you?" she demanded, her eyes still flying in every direction. "And where am I anyway? Tell me right now or you'll be sorry!"_

_The voice was quiet, but she could still make out a small laugh after she presented her question to him. "I've been watching you, Karin Yamaguchi, so I guess you could call me your guardian angel—" Another chuckle escaped the voice's lips, if it had any, that is. "—And as to your location, you are in the Dark Area, my home if you will. I have called you here to give you a second chance. I can give you a second life if you follow me."_

"_What are your conditions?" The idea of life appealed to her, especially if the voice was true in saying she had indeed died, of which she couldn't really be too sure of. The memory was fuzzy to her at the particular moment as to what truly happened to her, but if the voice had really meant for a fellowship, it may tell her just what she wanted to know. _

_The voice seemed confident as to knowing it had already led her in as the silhouette of a creature appeared, as I recognized as a Digimon. Lunamon specifically. "This is the Rookie Lunamon. A perfect host for your spirit. Become one with this befallen Digimon and its body will become yours, your mind and spirit, its. You will know nothing of its previous life, the memories being only those of your human life. You are the controller behind this empty corpse, but it shall be filled by you. Under the condition of loyalty, of course."_

"_What shall be my duties of the cost of loyalty?" She was mentally telling herself that if it was a job that consisted of cleaning up some sort of mess, she wasn't going to agree to such an offer. Although life was probably a good enough trade for such a duty._

_A vision of a different place than her current location appeared in one of the clouds of darkness before her. She watched as a group of kids, the Legendary Warriors, myself included, were in the one of the KaratsukiNumemon's homes on KaratsukiNumemon Mountain eating the discolored cabbages. "You must assist my seven other followers in the destruction of these hindrances. I believe you are acquainted with two of them." _

_It zoomed into Takuya and I, when I got pissed off at him from his addressing me as 'mommy' after DemiVeemon had clung to my arm and called me such, and grabbed the collar of his shirt. My glare was digging into him as my voice as rang out, a deep growl that seemed much louder than I remembered it being actually being, echoing through the entire Dark Area like it was some sort of cave, "You say that again, Kanbara, I dare you…"_

_Karin grinned deviously, letting her past anger take hold and do all of the thinking for her. "I accept!" She felt a sort of force envelop her like an aura, burning feeling like the hottest fire, yet somehow, it felt colder than the coldest ice at the same time. Through the pain, she felt her senses heighten to almost an animal-like level, an inhuman power taking over, almost like that of my Spirit Evolution, although this was a permanent evolution._

_She examined herself the first available chance, admiring how eye-catching her appearance was, although taken aback slightly on how small her form was. But that downer was instantly replaced with an evil thought of which seemed abnormally alluring, and somehow quite satisfying. A devious glint appeared in her eyes. "Let us begin this new life out right, shall we?"_

**To be completely honest, I didn't come up with Lekismon's backstory until chapter 19, when I figured she should have one as to why she acts the way she does. And a heads-up, chapter 23 is going to be the last chapter that Lekismon appears in until the sequel baby! (unless I make a surprise visit that I didn't even plan on) And I finally came up with a plot for the sequel, too! It'll feature a special character from the X-Evolution movie that only aired in Japan (such a confusing movie at that).**

**Please review! I love constructive criticism, and I love to hear what all my readers think of my fanfiction. It only can do me good and help me improve if you tell me what I need to improve on! ^-^**


	25. Chapter 23

**Finally chapter 23, it's been a lot a fun writing this one. Emotion is the thing I got to work the most on and I have to admit that despite how enjoyable it was, it was actually very difficult. But before I get into my story stuff, I'd just like to take a few moments to say-er, write a few things about you guys reading this right now.**

**First off, I'd like to thank everyone who reads my fanfiction. I'm sure I would've given up by now if it weren't for you guys. But I'd really like to focus on the one that's always keeping me idea-searching and writing my stories. And this person is my friend and fellow writer, Toshiku Yumari. She's provided endless support and is willing to read parts of my stories and give me criticism. She's always been behind me in this, giving me inspiration (and also friendly competion). So for everything you did for me, Toshi, thanks.**

**Secondly, I have a few reviews that need answering and I shall do that now:**

**arkee: You'll just have to wait and see who Avaruusmon is. It'll all be revealed in Sakkakumon!**

**Angelwings12: Apparently Edward wants to sparkle, and _somehow_ it turns on the ladies. Or something like that.**

**Shiningheart of ThunderClan: Lunamon first shows up as Lekismon in chapter 11.**

**And again, I apologize for the late update, I was distracted with YouTube because we finally upgraded from the ever-so slow dial-up to high-speed! Huzzah! And that finally gave me time to make a Takumi amv. If you wanna check it out on YouTube, my username is Giffey105 and it's featuring the song I Can Wait Forever by Simple Plan.**

**Now I present you with chapter 23!**

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Chapter 23

"I really don't know how you want me to respond to that," I admitted truthfully, putting an unsympathetic scowl on my face. "That makes you sound so innocent, when in reality you were a snobbish jerk that has now resorted to homicide. I really just don't see it. Couldn't you have just dealt with death like a normal person that's reached their time?" I really shouldn't have been taunting someone that was looming above me with a fairly large weapon and another Nuova Luna just a few feet away. One of my best ideas? Hell no.

Crescemon frowned, unsatisfied by my response. She didn't seem as pissed off as I would have really assumed, knowing that she had a nasty temper at most times. Just moreover…annoyed that the reply she was expecting, maybe pity of some sort, who knows, hadn't come out of my mouth. "Most people don't get a second chance," she snorted, "Wouldn't you do the same as I? Can you truly blame me?" She cocked her head to one side, answering completely honestly, and at the same time, sending questions my way for me to respond to.

I let out a small growl that had managed to rise up from the back of my throat and make its way up to my lips without my notice until the last moment. "It was a rhetorical question, _Karin_. Or would you rather me tell you—never mind, I'll do it anyway." I completely changed my mode of voice, my face tightening into a glare that would have made Duskmon scared. Or at least I thought it just might. "Just go to hell, Karin. That's where you belong, and the only place you'll truly be accepted by others just like you. And tell Satan I said hello before you go all trampy on him, you _yariman_."

If she wasn't at all pissed off before, she indeed was now. Before I could really do anything to protect myself or even get on guard, I felt a hard blow of her foot to my stomach, sending me back with such force I banged my back on the opposite end of the cavern. A fierce shock came over me from my vertebral column, my ribcage and out, consuming me in pain. I found myself trembling, trying to contain myself and get past the hurt that enveloped me from head to toe. _I have to get up. If she kills me, next she'll go for everyone else. I can't let that happen…_

She began to slowly step towards me, like she was giving me time to say anything I thought I might need to. "Any final requests before your Data is used for Lord Cherubimon's means?" She twisted her head around to view me from all presented angles. I didn't really understand why, since the only thing I probably looked like was a bloody, mangled mess that was glaring at her with hatred brewing in my irises. If there was something I was truly certain of at that point of how I looked, I knew I definitely wasn't eye candy.

I struggled against myself to remove my glare from her and unclench my gritted teeth to answer her question. I knew this would get me into more trouble than I already in, if that was even possible at this point, but hey, I couldn't have really cared, since what was worse than her trying to kill me and take my Data as she tried to do ever since I met her here? I had dug myself a pretty large hole up to this particular moment in time—and sometimes I wished it wasn't just a metaphorical pit—, the next step was to jump in it and get someone to bury me alive. "Why waste my breath?"

She giggled to herself, and I wasn't sure whether or not it was because it was of what I said. For all I knew, my stupid gallantry that always seemed to get me in a hell's worth more trouble than if I kept my trap shut for once only amused her, since it was all I could truly say when my days were numbered and she was counting down. And if she was still human, she'd have fingers to count on, rather than single paws, thus it would make the situation a heck of a lot more like a horror story. "Maybe because your breath is about to run short." She seemed rather proud of herself, haughtiness just bursting from the tone of her voice. "Might as well say any confessions now. While you can."

I got my arms under my body and trembling, got myself up to my knees into an unsteady crouch. I grinned, knowing just how to answer. Everyone knew just how much I loved my songs, and thus, why can't they be my last words as well? "_The secret side of me I never let you see. I keep it caged, but I can't control it. So stay away from me, the beast is ugly. I feel the rage and I just can't hold it. It's scratching on the walls, in the closet, in the halls. It comes awake and I can't control it. Hiding under the bed, in my body, in my head. Why won't someone come and save me from this? Make it end!_" I pulled out my D-Tector and pushed the button. My hand was veiled in coils of Data. "Execute!" Fractal Code circled around me from all directions, like an egg of light. "Beast Spirit Evolution!" Static flew through me and I gave out a yell as my body morphed into the half feline, half bird of prey. "Laikasmon!"

I could see the area of the cavern in crystalline purity, though everything seemed different as I had seen it as Gryphanimon. I felt a strange yet tempting power course through me, flowing through me like my own blood. I could feel my anger pumping with the strength that dwelled inside me, like a bottled up rage that needed quelling. Well, if it wanted to be repressed, then I would gladly tear Lekismon apart just to get it out of my system. I let out a feline-like roar, pouncing without a battle plan and tossing it all to fate. _You've shown me pain, now I show YOU what real pain is like! Time for just desserts, my dear!_ "Shiorai Pionos!" The ring upon my tail glowed and I felt an aura—a dark, a _soothing_ dark aura—came over me like a blanket. I growled as I used the strength to attack my target…_Wait, what is my target? I want to destroy everything! Make it all crumble before me! Show the world you're not some worthless child! Destroy! Destroy! Destroy!_

My assumed target, I couldn't have been sure—or cared—at that point, dodged my attempted tackle, leaping to the side. She retrieved her Nuova Luna that she had previously placed down and turned them into blowguns. "Dark Archery!" Arrows of darkness flew towards me at a rapid speed, or at least they seemed like they should have going by the rest of the common sense I held. But they appeared to be going in slow motion, something easy to evade and come in for a counter attack.

_Destroy! _

_Destroy!_

_Destroy!_

I lunged back, taking measures for the attack. "Talim Storm!" My vision went completely silver for a split second and then I quickly adjusted. Through the power held within my gaze, wind began to pick up and a cyclone enveloped Crescemon, a twister of silver razors revolving around and supposedly battering my enemy. I didn't focus on the calculations of whether or not my attack had any effect, or even if it truly hit her. Adrenaline pulsated throughout my being, helping my unquenched aggravation I couldn't seem to satisfy. _That's just fine. All the more fuel to keep fighting. All the more time to rid the world of _shiseiji_s such as the one before me. It shall all be done as it was destined. And if I don't see such written in the stars, I can make it so._

"Ice Archery!" My Talim Storm cyclone was suddenly turned to ice, all of the motion that caused damage ceased at that moment. The ice shattered into millions of pieces like shards of glass as Crescemon's form appeared before me, smiling triumphantly in confidence from her destruction of my previous attack. I readied myself, thinking of all the ways it would be enjoyable to destroy her and rid of her of her Data. And these specific ways: Every way.

She placed a single paw on her hip. "I see in your eyes you can't control your Beast Spirit. Typical." She seemed like she was going to say more, but something caught her attention and caused her to veer her head around to investigate. "I can assure you that it shall be the end for someone this day. And one of the candidates will not be me." She grinned deviously, leaping into the darkness. "This is farewell, Mirai. For how long, I cannot determine. But I swear to the three moons that when we next collide in combat, I shall not be the one to fall."

My heightened senses caught whiff of whatever caught her attention as well, making for a good target practice. Whatever it was, it smelled unique to me, different than Crescemon did. It didn't even smell like Digimon to me. It made my mind scrambled into a mixture of temptation and yet, I was banged with former knowledge that I just couldn't recall. _All shall witness my strength firsthand. All who oppose me will shatter like a broken mirror. And I won't be the one with the bad luck… _I let a growl escape my jaws, coming out because of my feline statics as more of a hiss than anything. Either way, I was warning the oncoming creature that I was present and deserved respect.

My nostrils suddenly picked up on what it exactly was, what seemed so different than Crescemon's essence: A human. Male. Blood type B.

I had a war with my own mind, trying to decide between my own will and my Beast's. The Beast's desires were overpowering, yet I wanted to obey my own. I was literally having a battle with two sides of my consciences. My pleadings came out quiet compared to that of my Beast, having little to no power in fighting against it because of all of the power it possessed. _Investigate. Destroy! Investigate. Destroy! Maybe he—Destroy! But—DESTROY! DESTROY! DESTROY!_

I let the force take me over, I let it be that of my motivation. Whatever it pleased, it could do. I was going to be behind it; I felt the rage that it felt, we were one. There was no reason to feud against one that is your very existence. I allowed the feeling—that which demanded of me to eliminate any obstacles that came forth and presented itself—to fill my head, and I got into position, ready to pounce on my prey. If I took the time to look back and see my tail, it probably would have been waving back and forth in anticipation. _Blood. Data. Sweet death…_

Suddenly, when the human came in view, I couldn't see him clearly. He seemed distorted, like the effects of the Beast altered the looks of whom was actually arriving. I felt anger rise up in my spine, and I squeezed my eyelids close to one another to make a glare. I tried to take in the form of this new character that came into play, but my eyes just weren't cooperating. So, surrendering to the feeling that was pulling me down, I did what instincts told me to do right at that particular moment: Attack.

From my crouched position, of which was poised and ready for this very second, I bent my knees and lunged forward at my newly acquired target, my mouth agape and teeth visible. I aimed myself to take down the enemy with a single blow, for the fact it was an unwary human, much weaker than the average Rookie Digimon. It should be simple, no turning back, no hesitation, and it'd all be over in a second. If all went absolutely flawlessly, there would be no room for a scream, no struggling at all whatsoever. Just death to my enemy, another one to fall to my power. Crescemon got lucky by fleeing when she had, but this human shall meet his instant doom. _Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood._

But much to my dismay, the human managed to evade my ambush by giving a reckless jump out of my aspired direction, going into a summersault and then into a crouch. I hit the ground gracefully, my paws digging into the turf, and I spun around to eye my opponent, scanning briefly for any instantly-noticeable weak points. I saw none, but none the less, didn't remove my guard. _This essence…so familiar…not removed last meeting… time to do that now._

He eyed me up every visible point of my animal-like body that he could see from his current position. "That mark…" His lower jaw went down away from his upper slightly, showing off his surprise in the smallest way possible. "…Mirai?"

I felt a sting suddenly spark from my mind and flow downwards in such a way it seemed like it was going directly to my heart. Such fiery emotion, emotion that made myself so much more than difficult to control. It was a thing that had yet to be tamed, and a part of me enjoyed its power displayed, maybe I didn't want it obeying me. …_Mirai…? What…? _My mind was instantly rid of those distractions that came over me for the briefest amount of time, and rage and bloodthirsty cravings came rushing into my head like floodwaters after a heavy downpour. _Kill the human! Do anything necessary to reign dominant! Take his Data! Bloodshed! Murder! Slaughter!_

I hissed, intensifying my glare, warning him not to make a single movement. He didn't seem at all fazed by the notion, which took me by surprise. _Why is he not trembling…? He must not know of my power. I will show him what strength I possess. And he shall learn the hardest way possible…Kill him! Kill him now! _I bent my knees downward, ready to spring upon him in waylaying. And if I directed myself to the correct place, it should be all over in a matter of mere seconds. Although…playing with for a while wouldn't be such a bad idea, either. It sounded tempting; I was the predator, he was the prey. And who said the predator never messed with its snack for a while before taking it down for the count? _In the mood for a game of cat and mouse, little human? Better get scurrying…_

"Mirai! Stop!" He made no effort to move, he didn't even seem to get the picture I was painting for him that he was on his last moments of his life. "You have get control of your Beast Spirit!" He looked directly into my eyes but I simply cast away the gaze and let out another threatening hiss. _He _will_ get it. He _will_ be afraid, he will tremble. He _will _fall… _"I don't want to fight you…" His tone seemed to be more to himself than anything, but I heard it and opposed it. _I want to fight...Blood. Blood. Blood._ "But if it's the only thing that will stop you, be prepared to tame the Beast." He pulled something out that I somewhat recognized. But I couldn't place what it exactly was. "Execute! Beast Spirit Evolution!" A form appeared in his place, a canine. More specifically, a wolf. "KendoGarurumon!" As he howled, I cringed. _What connection do I have to him? A human! Humans are nothing to me! Destroy! Destroy!_

"Talim Storm!" My vision turned silver as a cyclone of silver light appeared before me. I willed it to move towards him, ripping up the ground under it. He countered with a laser he summoned from his mouth and it ripped through the twister like paper. I leapt out of the way of the oncoming attack and roared. _You dare challenge me? Become a Digimon, ruin our little game? Fine, last one standing! I'll show you the true power of the Beast within!_

He persisted with me through telepathy, not speaking with his physical mouth. "Mirai! I know you don't want to do this! If you knew what was happening—what you're doing, I'm sure you would stop! Please, Mirai, listen to me!" I couldn't distinguish the look in his lupine eyes. It wasn't anger, it wasn't fear… _I know exactly what I'm doing! But why must you address me by such a name? Why must you look at me like that? Stop pretending I'll have mercy upon you!_

I jumped upon him suddenly, tackling him to the ground under me. Baring my teeth, I looked into his eyes. I saw a bright determination brewing inside them, one I didn't understand. _Why are you so determined to defeat me? I will not stand by and take your attacks! You shall meet doom!_ He continued to insist my innocence; I couldn't comprehend such. _Why does it seem like you're holding back on injuring me? Fight me, feeble dog! Show me the strength that of a useless human possesses! Fight me! And perish! Destroy! _"Mirai! Look at me! Don't you remember who I am? Koji! I'm Koji Minamoto!" He shoved it down my throat. That name. He made claims of something that I'm not. He thought I had a human heart, that I was somehow under some kind of circumstance human. _I am the Legendary Warrior of Time, and you can't tell me any different than that!_

He shoved me off of him, and I recoiled back with a Shiorai Pionos. He took the attack head-on, getting knocked off his feet and rolling back. "Mirai!" He got back onto his feet and stood still, just watching me with outmost concentration, as if that would somehow give me a message that I didn't know that he was trying to portray, that I was somehow supposed to receive and understand. _I don't want to listen to you, impertinent human! Fight me! I know you have more strength than that, I can sense it! Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood._

"I know you don't want my help, you'd rather destroy me—" _At least you understand that much, dog. _"—but that's the Beast deceiving you! I remember when I was taken over by my Beast Spirit! All I wanted was power and death, but I know that's not what you truly want! You have a good heart, Mirai, that's why you were able to break _me_ free from my own Beast!" His gaze remained on me, though I wasn't fazed by such weak notions. But suddenly something flashed in my mind. _Are you afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?_

I answered for myself in a growl that was more to myself than a warning to my enemy standing before me. _No I'm not. I won't let such a powerless creature that actually takes the form of a Legendary Warrior put me to my knees! He shall know pain like he never experienced before. Let the game of willpower begin…_ "Talim Storm!" I encased the Warrior-wannabe in the twister of shining razors and took satisfaction in hearing him scream in agony. _This is putting you into your place, dog. Bloodshed. Murder. Demise. Blood. Blood. Blood._

I couldn't figure out the emotions that put me in my place. Hearing him scream, knowing victory will indeed be mine after all, and yet… the fulfillment wasn't enough for me. It didn't seem to quench the thirst for destruction that I felt. _More…desperate measures shall solve such an issue…_I laughed, though outwardly it came out as a roar. It shall all be over in the shortest amount of time, I'll be done with him and I could go onto something that was more of a challenge. _His blood is like honey; I shall enjoy this to no end, knowing that the honey shall be mine in just mere minutes, and if I'm lucky, even less…Well, lucky for him, anyway. I wonder how much more he can take… Let's test this, shall we?_

My attack deceased and his wolf form fell to the ground. I could hear the blood pounding in and out of his heart. _A human heart_, I added mentally with a devious, feline smile, _I wonder what it's like to possess something so feeble, something that can take much less than that of a Digimon. Were they made to be so weak? Or was this some mistake on an ultimate force's part? Whatever, all shall be dismissed and not worth my pondering much longer…_I began to step towards him slowly, paw after paw. I wanted him to quiver, I wanted him to beg for his own pathetic life. That should give me enough enjoyment as to give me motivation to look for a new, better nemesis to face in combat. Humans, I learned, made horrible fighters, therefore, horrible opponents, and all in all, just weren't worth my time. They should be disposed of as quickly and properly as possible.

His human form returned into sight, the wolf disappearing into rings of blue Data. He pulled himself up onto his knees and stared up at me, shaking uncontrollably. Yet I didn't see any fear, the determination taking its place and taking up too much room for any other emotion. "Mirai, no, don't do it. You know what's right, you know we're friends. We've shared more than acts of friendship, to be honest." _Never believe the Big Bad Wolf…Blood. Blood. _"You always help me when I'm down, you always take my side. You were the one that actually trusted me and let me be who I was. Could you forget all of that?" He bit his lip, and it seemed as though he wanted to turn away but found that he just couldn't. His gaze was locked with mine, but I kept it like steel, firm and without emotion.

I hissed angrily, hating how much he was resisting, he just refused to go down. It was like he just didn't know that he was defeated. I would fix that. I lunged in to clamp my teeth around his neck for a final, painless snap, but his arm got in my path. I got my teeth around his wrist and locked my jaws down. He yelled out in agony as blood began to ooze its way from where my teeth surpassed his skin, and a ring of blue Data began to circle around him. "MIRAI! I KNOW YOU CARE ABOUT ME!... AND I CARE ABOUT YOU AS WELL!" He leaned forward, holding back another cry and kissed me just above my nose, a small, light… brief yet compassionate peck.

_Blood…No more blood. _My vision cleared and I could suddenly see him with beautiful clarity. As soon as I did so, I felt grief flood to me like I had been shot with a lead bullet. I released my grip and stepped back. _N-no…I almost killed him…I _would_ have killed him…I can't believe I was so deceived as to think it would be all right, that this was all just a game, that he was useless to me…_ I De-Spirit Evolved and fell to my knees, tears instantly making their way out of the corner of my eyes and streamed down my cheeks. They splattered against the ground and made dark marks on the soil. As dark as my heart. "K-K-Koji… I'm s-s-sorry," I stuttered, knowing that he didn't even deserve to hear my voice. He deserved so much more than to hear that of which had wanted to kill him, someone like me. "N-nothing can e-excuse w-w-what I've done…"

His Data disappeared back inside him as he staggered over, grasping his gashes with his hand. "It's in the past now, forget about it. You had the strength to break free, that's all that matters," he stated quietly, meeting his eyes with mine. I immediately looked away from his gaze, breaking out into more tears.

"I hurt you, Koji!" I snapped back, going into a sob. I didn't want him to see me like this and the best thing I could do was bury my face in my hands. "That's unforgiveable! What if I wouldn't have been able to stop? Would it still be okay then after you were dead, even if I _did_ manage to control my Beast Spirit in the end? Control doesn't compare to your life, Koji! You shouldn't have even risked yourself! You shouldn't have even kept your promise to me, all I've been doing is getting you hurt! It's all my fault!" I felt like I was stabbing him in the heart with a knife, like it was something I couldn't stop, even if I wanted to. Of which I did. I wanted to stop stabbing, stop causing him harm. But why was it so inevitable? Why do all my mistakes come back to bite everyone, not just me?

His voice came in a mumble that I barely heard. "I would have done it anyway," he answered back. His voice then became a bit louder and more assured, certain that what he was saying was right. "You seem to always forget that Takuya isn't someone just you care about. He's my friend, too, and I'm sure anyone would have done the same for him, or for anyone one else in the group. You can't always take the blame for everything. We're all in this together, and no matter how much you refuse to share any of the culpability, you have to remember everyone else makes mistakes too. Each member as an effect on all the others. It's not all you."

I took a long strained breath, not wanting to concede, but knowing Koji was right. Even with this truth, it still didn't heal the panging in my heart. Trying to collect myself of what I had left to actually be collected, I wiped my tears off my face and onto the sleeve of my sweatshirt. "All right…all right…" I sighed in effort to catch my breath. "But I'm still going to take responsibility for all of my actions." I unzipped my jacket and ripped a huge strip off of it, and throwing the rest aside, bandaged his slashed arm up the best I could, keeping my eyes upon it, thinking hard of how much I wanted him to be dead at that moment, and because of that desire, what I had caused. Why did it have to be him of all people? Why did Crescemon of all times have to flee? I could have finished her off for good and maybe none of this would have even happened. And yet, her words still remained in my mind, despite the lack of control I had at that moment: _"This is farewell, Mirai. For how long, I cannot determine. But I swear to the three moons that when we next collide in combat, I shall not be the one to fall."_

A single question appeared in my head because of the remembrance of this: What was she planning?

Koji walked over a few yards away, bent over, and picked up my hat off the ground. He dusted it off with his hand and tossed it back to me, chucking it like a Frisbee while noting that I couldn't forget it since it was pretty much my trademark. He smiled lightly at me as I returned my hair into its normal style under the hat. As I did so, I said, "Okay, we should go and find the others, to make certain they're all right. Do you know where they are?" I didn't realize that I had outwardly stated my concern until the words were already out of my mouth. But by then it was just too darn late to get them back in.

His small smile turned slightly devious. He had caught my moment of slipped words. Crud, why did he have to have such good hearing? It was, like, inhuman. He must've had a good bond with his Beast Spirit. "Aw, you care about them. You _have_ tamed your Beast. And your ego."

My eyes narrowed into a small glare. "Be glad I already went after you," I growled, tightening my lips together and curving them downward to a scowl. Though through that expression, I knew that he could see the guilt still stained on my face, the proof lying on my wetted cheeks. The tears I cried of remorse; that was everything that gave it away. My face was like a book, open and for the entire world to read, despite how many times I tried to slam it shut. I never wished it to be that way; I had always wanted to be alone and for no one to know there was anything even wrong with me to begin with. But no. Everyone knew I had problems, and most judged me for them. I hated it that way.

I sighed, tossing my head to one side, beginning to make my way out of the cave, not thinking to check back to see if Koji was coming, though proper evidence told me so. "Okay, enough with the taunting. Let's get on with it and save our idiot Legendary Warriors and _kuso_ before they go and get themselves killed in some dumb, almost harmless manner by pissing off a bunch of Digimon that were normally docile but they just did the wrong thing and sent 'em of the deep end or whatever."

"I take it you're not in a very good mood." I could practically feel his stare behind me burrowing into my back, his voice holding a substantial amount of flatness.

I wanted to roll my eyes, but decided to do it mentally. "Whatever gave you that idea?" I turned around and saw him struggling to walk, more damage of my own lack of self-control, I mentally noted with a hint of self-hatred, and I walked over to him. I braced myself steady, putting my hand behind his back. "Payment for earlier." With that said, he put his arm securely around my shoulders, and we began to make our way out of the cave. I didn't feel like mentioning this was really putting strain on me, since Crescemon did a pretty good job earlier. And I was sure that she wasn't using very much of her power on me. I was sure that if she would've slapped me across the face using all of her strength, she probably would've taken my head off. And then with that kick to the stomach, she could have easily punctured my organs and broken all of my ribs. And in addition to the wall that I hit as well. Yeah, her body was just a wrecking machine. I couldn't grasp the fact that it was Karin. I'll-slap-you-because-that's-the-most-damage-I-can-do-Karin. I'm-so-much-better-than-you-and-I'm-the-one-that-deserves-your-boy-Karin. I-just-stole-the-only-thing-you-had-left-and-now-I'm-laughing-in-your-face-Karin. Karin.

I felt a knot in my throat form. I had to contain my anger, I could manage just that. She was gone now, I had to keep reminding myself that. _Though she said she would be back_, I added to myself, putting that mental note into the growing pile of things I had to remember. The part about the 'when' always kind of got me. She didn't even know when she'd return. What did that mean? Did that mean that some force higher than herself, possibly Cherubimon, told her to return? A feeling in my gut told me it was more than that. But it was also my gut that got me unsettled. If there was more than just Cherubimon, then were we completely off center? Was there something else we should be focusing on?

* * *

"You know what, Koji?" I began as we hit what I figured around the one-mile mark in our little trek to find the rest of our group. We had been walking for a while in silence. But it wasn't the usual awkward silence I'd probably come to if I had been with someone else instead of Koji, it was almost a comforting silence. All I could hear was the sound of our footfalls on the ground and our breathing intertwining like a natural little chord. For a while, I'd come to just ignore my own exhaling and inhaling, and just listen to his. It was almost a soothing sound, the repetitive _in…out…in…out… _"You're really awesome."

He chuckled lightly at my very blunt statement. "I try," he answered, without a single denial of this one truth. That's because he knew that it was incontrovertibly true and thusforth, there was no argument within this particular topic.

I shook my head, smiling slightly at his response. "No seriously. Actually, I could've picked a better word than 'awesome', maybe…uh… unbelievable, but nonetheless. The point is, you're amazing—hehe. That's the right word. Getting back to what I was saying, you…surprise me. A lot. I nearly try to kill you—I actually managed to expose your Data—and yet, here you are, saying that you're awesome. I mean, what the heck? It's like you forget all of the dumb and completely life-threatening things I've done to you. Most people would be pissed off at me till I'm fifty." When I said this, I was namely thinking of Karin. "But—" He cut me off, looking at me with his eyes shining like sapphires.

"I do it because what would be the point if I was mad at you? I can tell by what you put yourself through that you have remorse for everything that you've done. Maybe you weren't sorry in the past before you came here, but maybe that's what we're here for. To teach us to learn from our mistakes and become a better person. Besides," He pushed my grinning face away from his so I'd be looking in the other direction, "I can't say mad at you."

I erupted into slightly laughter. "What am I, your pet? And am I your misbehaving dog?" I did a cooing dog owner imitation, "I can't stay mad at _you_! You're such a good dog, yes you are! Yes you are!" I blushed pink at the thought that came into my head. I wondered how he'd react, curiosity getting a big fat hold on me and my actions. "Doggy wanna cuddle." I rubbed my cheek against his and my head came to rest on his shoulder. I let out a relaxed sigh despite our current location and everything out there trying to dispose of the Legendary Warriors.

He seemed surprised in my action at first, but then slowly melted into it. He had a smile plastered on his face, a small one, but either way, I could tell I wasn't really annoying him with this. "They always say dog is man's best friend," he stated with a hint of sarcasm. And he actually took my words and my actions in a way that actually took me slightly aback mentally; he didn't seem at all bothered by me, which really kinda confused me. After all, he wasn't really one of those kinds of guys that enjoy that.

"I should be telling _you_ that, Mr. Wolf." My neck began to get strained from that straight angle tilt I had it placed. I lifted my head slowly and rubbed my neck, rolling it around in the circle that made it snap about five painful times. "Why don't the people on TV have that problem? In fact, those people fall asleep on each other's shoulders. They're probably using a pillow that they're not telling me about and you just can't see it with the angle of the camera. Stupid movie people." I frowned at my discovery. I'd never fallen asleep while resting my head on someone's shoulder; I never liked that kind of contact. There was a point, besides now at this particular moment, that I didn't exactly _mind it_.

But, I told myself, I had to teach my mind not to make that connection between Koji and him. They were two different people, of two different times. The time of the old me, and the time of the new me. But when I thought harder about it, the two me's were really not all that different. I had all of my negativity that was just brewing at the surface, but then, past it, I had my contentment, I could actually be somewhat happy and satisfied. But that came to be the hardest part to handle. I had spent most of my time being sour and when a time came that I was actually pleased at the point in life I was at, I didn't know how to actually assert that pleasure. I didn't recognize it, and therefore, disowned the feelings for those I did recognize and was able to follow through with. Familiarity was comfort.

I thought about the word familiarity for a moment, wondering about the Memory Aura had shown me. That boy had thought Koji was familiar. No, more than that. He had known his name, and yet, he said Koji didn't know him. The thing that had struck me the weirdest: How similar they looked. They had the same hair, eyes, and facial structure. But they were emotionally different; the boy seemed so depressed, so alone. The way he cried those grief-stricken tears pierced me in the heart with my own familiarity. Those first days after that breakup, I refused to cry—I never wanted anyone to ever see me cry, I was stronger than to show such weak emotion—but this was one of the times I couldn't stop it. I had stood on that street in the pouring rain too many times, I had expected too much of him as to come out, kiss, and make up. But no, I wasn't worth it, I wasn't as good as Karin. I had never been, and we all knew it full well. Then why wasn't he with her to begin with? Why did he have to go through those measures as to break me and then decide I wasn't right? As far as I was concerned, it was just cold-hearted.

"Koji, you said you didn't have any siblings, right?" I questioned suddenly, almost startling myself with my own inquiry. When he looked at me in puzzlement, nodding unsurely, I continued, "I have a…a gift. It's called Memory Aura and an ability of my Ancient Spirit that I inherited. But anyway, I had a vision of the past. There was a boy in it—he looked _just_ like you, and he was running towards you, calling out your name. He said he knew you, but you didn't know him. It's just…strange, since it seems like you guys would be related or something, judging by the looks." I shrugged indifferently.

"Maybe you're getting an ability mixed up with daydreaming." I wasn't sure how he managed to voice that with such a stern tone and expression. But it made me confused as to whether or not he was actually serious about his statement or it was just sarcasm. But he dismissed that idea quickly, taking a few moments to ponder it, and deemed this conversation to go no farther than it had by asking, "I've been thinking and I don't get it. Why didn't Duskmon finish me off when he had the chance?"

I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly, an action I got from Takuya over time, no matter how much I refused to admit that fact. "That was kinda my doing actually. After you took the bullet, so to say, for Takuya, I sorta went berserker. Ya know, berserker with all caps and the three. BERSERK3R, you've seen that before, right?" He just stared at me and I continued, "Anyway, I Beast Spirit Evolved to Laikasmon—somehow. I haven't quite figured that out yet—and got my _oshiri_ whipped, so I resorted to yelling at him. I happened to mention your name once, and he kept repeating it like it was going out of style—which it isn't, of course—and he released this blackness from his body, and here we are. Well, um…kinda."

Before he could respond, his attention was drawn away from me and he walked on ahead, looking past the last little tree line and off into the open area beyond it. He stopped as I caught up to him and just took in the area that lied ahead. It was completely derived of plant life, the sky was dark—duh—and there seemed to be what seemed to be either a village or a fortress with many buildings within it. It was all made of stone, and outside of the village-fortress-thing, were stone pillars that reminded me of the Stonehenge and a large tablet that was standing upright. And emerging from on the wall of the tablet thing was a voice that was none too pleasant, "Stop! Leave that alone!" _Zoe of all people, she's always the one I hear. Back at the beach and now here…_

And once there's one, there has to be more to join it. "Hey, stop messing around with our D-Tectors!" This time I recognized the voice to be owned by JP. _Of course, he just wanted to score points by agreeing with the little Princess Prune._

Thus, because everyone else decided it was convenient to start yelling at this particular moment, the last feels the strong need to join in on the little spat they were having with whatever they were yelling at. "C'mon, give 'em back to us!" Except Tommy is probably the one most likely to be ignored, if they all weren't. Because I knew for certain that I wouldn't have given a crap to any one of them, although the one I probably would have ignored most indefinitely would have to be Zoe.

"You'll break them!" I would have openly stated that she would have eventually anyway if we weren't busy trying to sneak closer to where they were being held captive on that tablet-thing that they managed to get themselves stuck on.

"I'm warning you!" I began to wonder what a pissed off JP was really like. I never saw him lose it in battle—though I wasn't calling this a battle; he was glued to a rock—so I found the need to figure. And what I figured he let all of hell loose at that particular point. Especially if it involved either Zoe or chocolate. Which came to one more topic of thought: Which one did he love more?

"Stop it!" It was at this point that Tommy began to have the tone of a girl, leading me to believe that he just might be Justin Bieber.

"Execute now!" JP's D-Tector floated up towards him surprisingly. "Yes!" But it was stopped short by hitting some sort of force field (the work of Avaruusmon I could only assume). It fell down with a loud shattering noise, so it appeared that he just broke it. "No…! Oh man, what's the use?"

Justin Bi—er, Tommy was the one to scold him this time, looking at him as if he just bet all of his chocolate and lost it all at the races or something. And knowing JP, he'd probably do that. And knowing Takuya, he'd probably be the one to win all of the chocolate. "Don't say that! We can't give up now! I'm sure Koji or Takuya or Kaz will find a way to save us!"

I pumped a small fist, putting a small grin on my face because of Tommy's words. "Yes, I'm acknowledged!" I exclaimed lightly, causing Koji to give me a somewhat strange look. I knew that if I wouldn't have Spirit Evolved in order to fight Duskmon, I probably wouldn't have gotten mentioned or even a single thought from those three. But now that I've somewhat proved my worth by showing my inner Digimon, I could actually be called part of the team. Except knowing this lot, I wasn't too sure that was one hundred percent awesome. Since I could easily gather that there's gonna be some big downfall that's gonna come my way eventually, making a pretty large hole to dig myself out of. Goodie.

At that moment, giant wooden doors opened at the fortress and two figures of drastically different heights walked out and over to those pinned to the wall. They were easily distinguished as Mercurymon (who could mistake that pointy head with an old English accent?) and that of whom was almost as bad as Zoe, the wet-head formally known as Ranamon. They began to speak to the three enslaved Legendary Warriors, seemingly getting them pissed of almost right away. And from that large distance away, I could clearly see a smirk forming on the Warrior of Water's face. _She must've just gotten permission to torture them or something. That grin can't be because she's enjoying their company…_

What seemed to be Ranamon's hands appeared, floating in the air. There was four of them, two of them holding feathers. _What is she going to do, tickle them? _Ranamon snapped her fingers, and the hands floated over to Zoe and Tommy (okay, so why not JP? I don't get it) and while one hand held each of their heads in place, the ones with the feathers rubbed them right below the nose, causing them to sneeze repeatedly. _Okay, so maybe not tickle them…_ But then, the Warrior of Water snapped her fingers again and then the hands moved and began to tickle them. _Ha-ha! I was right! Take that, fortunetellers! _

I suddenly heard JP exclaim, "Do your worst! I can take it!" _Dude, you're not even the one being tortured…or at least what Ranamon calls torture. _She, in response to his words, again snapped her fingers, and he shouted out, "You're mad, Ranamon, MAD!" And this is something that I should leave to the imagination of those that didn't watch what happened at this very moment.

At this point, the Digimon trying to get the Spirits out of the D-Tectors resorted to hitting the devices with large sledgehammers. Somehow, their D-Tectors must have been a lot sturdier than mine, since they withstood blow after blow. This ran through my mind with a little bit of unnecessary envy as we concealed ourselves behind a fairly large boulder, out of sight of the two evil Legendary Warriors and close enough to hear more of what they were saying. Not that I wanted to hear any of their voices in better clarity than I had way the heck back there, though.

"Koji, what do you see?" I questioned, knowing that he got the better view because he was standing closer at that particular moment. I saw the look on his face and knew instantly that he thought of some kind of solution.

His eyes trailed back to me for a split-second. "There's a force field around where the Datamon have the D-Tectors. If we could just get through that and then we could get the D-Tectors…" He turned back around and leaned his back on the rock, looking at me with a bit of doubt. "But there's five of them and only two of us." He balled his fist and gritted his teeth, growling in frustration. He glared down at the ground as if it was its fault.

I brought my hand up to my chin. "We have to think of something. It can't be completely hopeless. Just think." I complied with my own words and began to search my mind for some sort of solution. There had to be some sort of method of going about a battle and winning even though the odds were against us. We were the Legendary Warriors, there had to be some way to come out on top. But there was a problem: _They_ were Legendary Warriors too.

Koji put his hands to the sides of his head and cringed. "I can't just sit here and do nothing!" I figured that he thinking out loud, trying to fill the gap of doubt that began to take its toll on both of us. There seemed to be little to no hope in actually beating them. Quite honestly, I was ready to leave right then and there in surrendering of the other members of the group. But, worry not, I'd take Koji with me.

I breezed past Koji and peered around the rock. The "torture" had ceased—though I could have known that by the silence—and Tommy and Zoe were gasping for breath. Ranamon was gazing up at them with her arms crossed and a sour expression put upon her face. She was clearly perturbed that she wasn't getting any answers from the group stuck to the wall. I heard her say to Mercurymon, "Is it alright if I do something a little more drastic?" She got the okay from the Warrior of Steel and then turned to the group, pointing to Zoe. "You! Sweet thing! Let's see how pretty your are when you're squashed like a bug!"

There was a weird little awkward silence as JP had this weird look on his face like the snot was being kicked out of him, shoved back in, and then kicked right back out again. His eyes were squeezed shut and he was slowly inching farther and farther away from Ranamon. Or Zoe. Or both.

"Pay attention, son! I'm trying to threaten you here! Hello?" The Warrior of Water put her hands on her hips and scowled at JP, narrowing her eyes. It was clear that she wasn't in a very good mood right about now and just wanted to tear them apart. Well, maybe not Tommy because he was the only one really staying overall quiet. But that didn't happen very often so maybe he was under the list of homicide. She pointed back up at Zoe.

"What are you doing?" Zoe asked, looking at the Warrior of Thunder with a look that clearly said 'WTF are you daydreaming about this time? Never mind, I'm not even going to ask. Oh wait, I just did.'

"I, uh, it was just…it's a long story," he admitted, a weird expression coming into shape on his face. _Yeah, long enough that I can spell it out without even taking time to think about what letters are in it. Z-O-E_

"Don't worry, Precious, I'll get to your little girlfriend soon enough." Ranamon grinned evilly. "No offense, but I'm savin' the best for last." She began to do a little dance-thing that consisted of bobbing up and down on one leg and waving her arms. She laughed deviously, in a way that reminded me of Lekismon. "Dark Vapor!" She summoned a purple cloud that spiraled around JP that seemed to really piss off everyone else around him.

"JP!" Koji cried out while pulling out his D-Tector. "Execute! Spirit Evolution!" He disappeared from my sight into the familiar orb of Data. "Lobomon!" The form of the blue and white armored wolf appeared and ran into battle. It actually kinda seemed rash for Koji, not really his style. Although this wasn't really the time for the amount of calculating that'd actually be needed in defeating these guys.

I pulled out my D-Tector and gripped it in my hand. I stared down at it intently. "If Koji's risking his neck to save those guys, then I will too. No more running away from battle, the past matters no longer…" I held out my hand and pressed the button on the side of my D-Tector. "Execute! Spirit Evolution!" I felt the weakness I had wash away from me and be replaced by the strength that my Spirit possessed. "Gryphanimon!" I looked around quickly, jumping up into flight. Lobomon had already gotten the two Warriors distracted, so the best thing to do was get the other D-Tectors. I'd have to keep my eyes on the Warrior of Light just in case things got a bit messy, however.

Nodding to myself, I waited for Lobomon to lure them to the roof of the building and made my way over to the force field. I began beating upon it with my fists, thinking it would shatter easily, but I was sadly—and annoyingly—mistaken. I threw punch after punch until my arms and knuckles were aching. "Why won't this stupid thing break? Is it made of invisible titanium or something?" I resorted to using an attack. "Strike of Thoth!" I cast my leg against it and felt a pain shoot up me. "Ow ow ow! Son of a—ow! Bad idea! Bad idea! What the _fukku_ is up with this thing?" I pretty much lost it at that moment, throwing punches in rapid fire. "DIE! DIE! DIE!"

I then, after breaking a hard sweat from that little bit of madness, looked over at Lobo—_Wait, where is he? For that matter, where did Ranamon and Mercurymon go? Crap, I turn away for a second and Koji goes and does something dumb._ "Okay, time to go in and help. I'm not gonna get that broken anyway…" I glowered down at the stupid force field and the Datamon still trying to get the Spirits out of the D-Tectors. At least they hadn't achieved that yet. "Okay…" I flew over to the building of which they were battling upon earlier, the last place I had seen them. I noticed a whole in the roof and flew down, seeing Ranamon flooding the whole building with water. _Koji's gonna drown if this keeps up…_ I made a last-minute decision and held my breath, diving in. I looked around for some sort of solution. I had gotten myself in the water, and now what?

I noticed a large door on the other side of the room and tried to swim over to it. But before I could do so, I felt something clamp onto my leg. I turned around and saw Ranamon smiling and waving at me, holding my leg with one arm. "Hi there, Cutie Pie!" _Oh great, she can talk underwater, too…_ "You're not leaving us so soon, are you?" _I was thinking about it, yes. Why? Do you not want me to use the door? I can blow a new door in the wall if you really want me to._

I narrowed my eyes and swung my free leg around, clunking her upside the head. With my leg freed, I darted to the door. I gave it a full-body tackle and they swung open. All of the water rushed out, along with all those who were in it. "Have you no control?" Mercurymon snapped, a tone that showed if he actually had eyes he'd be glaring daggers at the Warrior of Water.

Ranamon held her hands up in front of her mouth, looking like she was very afraid of the figure that was undoubtedly twice her height. I didn't know if it was Mercurymon or Ranamon's height that played as the biggest factor here. "Why you mad at me? It was your idea!" _I don't really think that he cares all that much. I think he has more important things to worry about._

Mercurymon, in turn, walked away groaning. "I'm surrounded by buffoons…" _Tell me about it, I feel the same way every single day. And currently I'm near two buffoons at the current moment._ He walked over to Lobomon, who was near where the others were held captive on the ground, struggling to get to his feet. He stood a mere three yards away from him, waiting for his last words. He wanted everyone to stand by and watch as the Warrior of Light is destroyed ever so quickly, helpless as to do anything to assist him to prolong his ultimate defeat.

I stepped in between them, putting no second thought in between my foolishness and blind valor. It couldn't have been seen under the metal plate that covered the lower half of my face, but I gritted my teeth, and I let out a deep, barely audible Beast Spirit-like growl. "Back. Off." Annunciating every word clearly and as separate, one-word sentences, I clenched my hands into fists and glared sharp blades at the Warrior of Steel. If my gaze could kill, he would have been already ten feet under and worm food. "Touch him. And die."

Mercurymon laughed a loud, deceitful cackle that echoed throughout the entire area, his overconfidence seemingly shining through so bright that he didn't even bother to prepare himself or get on any kind of guard. That, I knew, would eventually be his downfall. This meeting or not, it will still end in the same way. "Thy will is strong, my dear, but heavily misguided. Thou shall not live to see another sunrise."

It was my turn to laugh. Not evilly by any means, just a normal carefree laugh that I hadn't let out for a very long time. "I already know that." I said with a smile glittering in my eyes (at least my whole body doesn't glitter…). According to the arrangement of his lips on his mirror-face and where I imagined his eyes to be, my statement took him by surprise and I continued sassily, "I don't wake up early enough to see the sunrise. Hee."

Mercurymon curved his lips down into a frown at my comment. "Thy absurdity is thy folly."

At that moment, lightning lit up the sky in a deafening boom and clouds covered the already dark sky. It appeared like there was going to be a nasty storm coming forth. The wind blew cold gusts of air, along with it, large freezing chunks of snow. It seemed to take everyone here by surprise. It had come about so quickly, just like someone flipped on a switch or something. Almost like someone told the weather to do that and then it actually listened. _Naw, you'd have to be insane to talk to the weather… Or just be Takuya…_

The Warrior of Steel turned away from me, looking out into the distance. "At last the final player hath arrived." _Speak of the devil… Why does this always happen? Do I jinx it or something?_

"Well, then let's get the show on the road!" Ranamon ran over to the quickly approaching Agunimon, seemingly a little _too_ eager to battle the Warrior of Flame. Her smile stretched from one side of her head to the other. It was now officially official from that very moment on (well, at least in my mind): The Spirits of Water should now be called the Spirits of Mental-Scarring. Agunimon threw Pyro Darts at her that landed at her feet. "Missed me! Missed me! Now you gotta ki—" She got nailed by one and toppled over backwards.

"Thanks, but no thanks," he responded with a hidden-pride scowl of his spot-on shot that had done its intended job. _At least that's one girl he resists a kiss from…_ I thought with a discouraged frown. "Pyro Tornado!" A cyclone of fire enveloped the force field and completely destroyed it and its surroundings in that single blow, compared to my rash, uncontrolled punches. _Hey, I coulda done that…_ "Now Lobomon, free the others!"

"LoboKendo!" With a single, almost invisible to the naked eye movement, Lobomon had sliced through the chains holding the other Warriors with his light-harnessed sword. After he had done so, he landed in a crouch, ready to spring back just in case.

Tommy, Zoe, and JP grabbed their D-Tectors and Spirit Evolved into their Human Spirits. While this was taking place I inquired to Lobomon, walking over to him, "Were you just faking injury to get close enough to break them free?" He gave me a knowing glance as we neared our fellow Legendary Warriors. We lined up next to them, facing Mercurymon and Ranamon, getting on the ready. "Hey, exactly where did all of the Datamon go?"

"Ah, isn't this sweet? Together at last, I love reunions," the Warrior of Steel noted villainously. _Nice to know. You'll be reunited with your fallen comrades soon enough. Don't worry about that. We'll even take care of it ourselves. _"It appears we are ready for the final act of our little play." He added a laugh to it, trying to psyche us out. If only he knew how wrong he was about thinking we actually were. Or at least how good we were at hiding it.

"Shut up and fight, Shakespeare!" I yelled, half trying to make a dumb joke having heard him imply a play and his old English accent, half being completely serious in the words.

"I should put on something more comfortable," Ranamon stated, Slide Evolving into Calmaramon. _She looks even uglier than she did when it's bad weather… I wonder how that works… Hmm, maybe I should add something here to piss her off… Why not? I've done it many times before, why stop now?_

"IMAGINE HOW MANY BURGERS KOJI COULD MAKE WITH _THAT_!" Adding to the effect of my words, I pointed directly to the squid-shaped Digimon. I would have done the whole point-and-laugh shebang, but this just wasn't really the time to laugh at her and her ability to become a burger.

Calmaramon turned red with anger. Actually, I think that's what she was supposed to turn. She actually turned lavender, instead. Maybe she went to the same place that Zoe did for all of her clothes, except found out they sold some sort of food or drink or chemical or something. "You're gonna get your just desserts for that one, toots! And I'll be the one that'll dish it all out for you!" I betted that if Mercurymon wasn't there giving her orders, she would have let out all of hell loose on me.

"You don't really think you're gonna win, do you? Haven't you heard? It's not nice to mess with Mother Nature!" Agunimon shouted, his voice hardly carrying through the storm. That was the cue to go, and we leapt into action.

It started with Beetlemon electrocuted Calmaramon with a Thunder Fist and Kazemon kicking her off her, uh…feet? with a Tempest Twist. Kumamon froze Mercurymon to the ground with his Blizzard Blaster snowball-shooting gun and Lobomon came in twirling his LoboKendo and tackled the Warrior of Steel, breaking out of the ice that held him in place. After a bit of bickering between the two evil Legendary Warriors like they were an old married couple, I looked at Agunimon and he gave me a smile in exchange for a nod. There was a silent agreement that went on right there, and we both knew the conditions. It was a noiseless contract that we formed with single glances.

"Pyro Tornado!" He spun around and became veiled in fire as I took to the sky.

I readied my position. Directly at Calmaramon and Mercurymon. "Burning Oras!" I felt myself being consumed with flames, but I wasn't burned. The fire was almost a comfort, but I knew it must be release. I swooped down at them as Agunimon released his own attack. I willed the fire to leave my body without the physical contact with the opponent it usually needed and it mixed with the Pyro Tornado. The evil Warriors were trapped in the flames and they brought themselves closer to their beings. When the fire dispersed from the elements' effects, they seemed to panic as we neared, ready for more. It was much too easy now, much different than it had been before this moment in time.

"Well, now what do we do?" Calmaramon screeched, curling up all of her tentacles, making them look as though they just shriveled up. She had a look on her face that showed just how scared she was with the distance between us.

"Retreat and regroup." At that answer from Mercurymon, the Warrior of Mental-Scar—er, Water turned tail and made her way out of sight as the Warrior of Steel disappeared, first his body, then one mirror, and then he snapped his fingers and the other disappeared as well.

To make sure that Calmaramon had actually went away and wasn't planning to ambush when we thought they both were gone, I swooped up and trailed her for a few minutes. She went down the side of a cliff, escaping down into the depths, into the darkness that I could pick up if only I went down there and watched her myself. "You little brats! This isn't over!" she screamed, her voice ear-piercing like a million babies crying all in the same building. Or like Zoe.

I triple-checked that she was indeed gone and then flew back over to the group that had now De-Spirit Evolved and had been discussing something as I neared. I caught the last phrase, words from Takuya, who was staring down at his D-Tector, "We're in for a great run. All of us." He was smiling, probably from our last victory. Actually, everyone there was smiling. I could feel the positive aura just radiating from the entire group, a happiness I hadn't seen in a long time.

Normally I would have run away from such emotion, but I had landed and De-Spirit Evolved even before I knew exactly what I was doing. "Well, there's no sign of them anywhere. They're gone, that's for sure. That's victory, guys." I walked up to them, putting a hand in my pocket. There was a weird awkward silence as everyone, aside from Koji of course, just merely stared at me like I was a moron with an extra arm and a tail or something. "…What?"

Takuya suddenly burst out laughing, as if there was actually something funny, which at this point, I didn't see it. "Dude, you Evolved into a female Digimon!" He didn't say anything more, erupting into more laughter. He obviously noted the more feminine stature of my Spirit. At least Gryphanimon wasn't as bad as Kazemon. She looked like she was in a metal bikini. Where does she work, a strip joint?

"That's because I'm a girl, you moron!" I ripped off my hat and started whacking him with it, an all-out impale. "Dude, you are so stupid!"

He suddenly stopped, seeing my hair hanging down. He looked me up and down and his eyes came to rest on my face. "Mirai…? Mirai Kimishima?" It seemed like a huge effort for him just to say my name. I merely sent him a stare like 'uh, yeah, the last time I checked, that's who I was.' And he responded with a big grin that always lit up the entire room. I couldn't help but think about how much I missed that expression that always used to remain on his face. I missed when that expression made me glow a deep red as he put his hands onto my cheeks and brought his lips to mine.

I missed a lot of things about the past. But I had to turn away from that, the thing we could have had was over. I had Koji now, and I couldn't say that I'd prefer Takuya instead. The past happened for a reason, a reason that maybe was still unclear, but I knew that maybe it was going to turn out better than I can even comprehend. Back then, I thought that things couldn't get any better, then everything was ruined in a single instant, shattered like glass, everything that I had built up and loved—a life that I loved—but now I knew that they _can_—and they _did_—get better. Maybe they didn't right away, but when I got here to the Digital World, things weren't perfect, but they indeed were better than they ever had been. And I knew it was because Koji was here.

Getting out of those thoughts that only took an instant to come into mind and get out, I was suddenly snapped back into reality by one none other than Takuya exclaiming, "MIRI!" He wrapped my arms around me, and it didn't seem like he was going to ever let go.

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**Alright, Mirai's identity has now been revealed! The moment everyone's been waiting for! Anyway, about Koji's blood type, I just saw it on a website and it said it was B (even though there's no real way of knowing) and so I just went along with it.**

**Please R&R! I love to hear from you guys! ^-^**


	26. Chapter 24

**Finally, chapter 24! It took me forever to get this finished. But nonetheless, I'm posting this from Canada! I'm on vacation presently (that's why the update had taken so long) and taking the Lake Superior Circle Tour. It's been so hot, but the water is so freezing! I'll be back on the 8th, and when I do get back, I'll probably be back into the groove of updates about once every 10 days or so. **

**And now, enough with my blabbing about with my vacation, I'll get on with it. In this chapter, Mirai is pretty much pushed off the edge. It's when I really get into developing her emotions, and so she kinda loses it. I'm trying to achieve the perspective of her actually thinking she's the good guy and Takuya's at fault, but really, you can clearly see it's the other way around.**

**Finally, I present chapter 24! Almost half done!**

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Chapter 24

I wasn't sure if I should have said anything about that little embrace that Takuya forced me into or not. I had remained silent about the whole concept, finding this rather awkward to be completely honest, as everyone was pretty much watching this and staring in the maximum amount of confusion possible. Koji wasn't surprised about this, but when I snuck a peek back at him, I was rather taken back at what I saw. He looked as pissed as hell. If he didn't have some sort of reputation to uphold as the group's uncaring loner, I bet he would have torn Takuya into pieces. But, despite how I felt about this in the past, I wouldn't have let him follow through with that. I wasn't exactly confident I knew why. It's not like our current erm, "relationship" now was mended to be exactly the same as it was though few years ago, but it was of a different kind of level. Nonetheless, putting aside the thinking, I decided to figure this thing out later.

Going back to original topic of thought, I couldn't really comprehend why Koji seemed so hot under the collar. _I_ wasn't really that important, why would _Koji Minamoto_ be jealous of _Takuya_? Because even the Warrior of Flame had to admit, he just wasn't a stylin' spiffy boy such as Koji. Sure, Takuya had his physiques: good smile, nice hair, and if I remember correctly, a little more than an adequate kissing ability. But everything goes downhill on the chart when you get to brainpower. Put his wit on the charts and what you have before you is the characteristics of a sexy little moron.

But I digress. If you lacked logic, things seemed a whole lot simpler at the planning stage. And thus, with a positive feeling that everything is going to work out all right, that sexy little moron is bound to have a hellofa lot more fun…and a larger hospital bill.

Figuring by the evidence of Koji grinding his jaws and sending a death stare that could murder through the back of Takuya's head, I assumed that at any given moment, he would just pop and lose all self-control he possessed. So I tried to pry the gogglehead off of me and prevent such a situation that would probably humiliate more people than just Koji alone. "Okay, let go. Moment—if I'm actually lying by saying this is a moment—is over." When he did nothing in effort to remove himself from me, I gave him a hard jab in the side right below the ribcage (aka a taser), and he sprung loose like he touched a hot stove. Although if you touch a hot stove, you don't grab your side and cringe. Or at least I didn't think so. "Dude. We're. Done. Hugging." I gave him a quizzical look as to why he had gotten so carried away. "In fact, a handshake or something would've sufficed just fine at that point."

He smiled genuinely. "Okay, then." He held out his hand and looked at me expectantly. "Let's do it over. Friends?" _Is that it now? All he desires is to be friends with me? I wouldn't have gotten that impression if we just left it up to his instant reaction._

I shrugged, pondering his request, and took his hand in mine to shake it. I felt that same familiar spark, but tried to keep it hidden. I was thinking that if Koji saw it, he'd be more than off the wall. He'd be on the ceiling. Besides, I told myself, it was probably just a little reminiscence of the past. It'd be okay after returning to familiarity. And the thing I found the most adhering was that I had to _keep_ telling myself that. "I'm not so sure about 'friends', but we do have an awkward bond of sorts."

I was going to stay nonchalant about that comment I just made and dismiss it without a second thought, but then I realized he was laughing. Smiling and laughing. And then it surprised me more to notice that I was smiling and laughing with him. And that observation made me correct myself. That hug didn't piss Koji off. _This_ pissed Koji off. He was flippin' mad now. Because now that I was actually getting along with Takuya, I had all the more reason that I would ignore him. I'm sure he knew I wouldn't, but some thoughts were just unavoidable. And negative thoughts were like weeds: Once the seed was planted, all of the other plants around it were sapped of life and eventually wilt into death.

"Did we miss something here?" I heard Zoe question, seemingly a little hint of anger evident in her voice. But it was mostly consumed by all of the perplexity that was shown on her and everyone else's faces. And she, I knew was speaking for the rest of the group, aside from Koji whom even if he didn't know what was going on, probably wouldn't have even given a crap anyway. "Because if any of this going on here made sense, I'd be totally, flat-out lying."

Takuya put his arm around me and I weaved my way around, avoiding the embrace. But he quickly put that in the past and grinned, beginning to answer the question Zoe presented, "This Mirai Kimishima, she's one of my old friends, except we haven't seen each other in almost three years—" _He kept track of the time?_ "—And we hadn't even tried to keep contact! 'Cept I don't know why she, uh, ya know, cross dressed…?" He turned to be, the smile fading and eyeing me in suspicion.

I scowled from the sudden attention I was suddenly given, my face turning suddenly red from the number of eyes that were laid upon me. "Well, it kinda started with…" I trailed off, going over everything in my mind that provided reasoning for my disguise. Taking my brother's place, the tension of seeing Takuya, the whole reason of not showing my whole self. To be honest, I couldn't recall what had compelled me to do it in the very beginning, the thing that made me actually decide _I'm gonna do this_. But despite that, I had a pretty long run. I could have assumed that I could've gone longer if I hadn't conveniently decided to beat Takuya with my hat. But the longer I thought about it, the more I just didn't care. "Ya know what? It doesn't matter. Find someone else to interrogate. I don't want to be put on the spot just because you found a good reason to ask me stupid questions." I pursed my lips firmly into a straight line.

"C'mon, Ka—er, Mirai. If you feel the need to keep it secret, that just means you need to get it off your chest," Zoe insisted, prodding more than I liked. She probably wouldn't have given this much attention if I was still going as a guy. I figured out a lot of things from that experience. One, Zoe pays more attention to girls than guys, but even so, she's still unbelievably annoying. I wondered if she was just made to irritate people with that helium voice of hers.

"Yeah, we're all friends. Pretty please?" Tommy continued, folding his hands together in a slightly pleading manner. As if that dumb kid would change my mind. He never did anything to faze me before, and he wasn't about to start now.

I crossed my arms, giving them all a hard stare that lacked most emotion. "No," I scoffed coldly. "And no little cutsie act will do you any good. I'm not one to fall for that." _Except when it's Koji_, I added in my mind, _He's got a gift. A spellbinding gift._ I looked at said Warrior of Light for a quick moment, seeing that he was feeling a little more self-controlled, probably because I had refused and avoided Takuya's arm-around-shoulder embrace. He was still watching with a cautious gaze, however.

"You sure?" Takuya questioned surreptitiously, grinning the smirk he always put on whenever he got a good idea. And this idea he had, he followed through with before I knew what happened, and it was certainly _not_ a good idea to the majority of the group standing here.

I could barely blink before he had his lips on mine. I was caught completely off-guard, but almost immediately, I recognized the familiar feeling of the heat and intensity his touch created. As a gained habit, I quickly fell into the kiss and let it overcome me. But many alarms cut through the moment and went off in my head. They were screaming out _Koji! Koji! Koji! You can't forget Koji!_ That suddenly clicked in my psyche and my eyes widened, my body instantly tensing. So I did the first thing that came into my mind: I punched him in the gut.

Anger suddenly filled me, remembering the last time I saw Takuya kissing, the memory playing over in my head like a movie that I hadn't willed to play. And it wasn't me. "You think you can just go and do that after what you did? You remember the last day you saw me, but you don't remember _what_ had caused me to change schools? What made me the way I am? You sick, lying _shiseiji_!" I would have tried to rip him into shreds if I didn't have better control of myself. I decided to let my words do the damage that they could instead. I didn't want to have to rebuild any of the trust I had gained, even though this whole reveal-yourself-shtick already probably did so.

He scowled, guilt suddenly filling his gaze. I didn't wait for him to answer my yelling. I didn't want to hear what he had to say, just like when I saw him on that crushing day. I had the same anger dwelling in me, a consuming, burning fire that not even the largest of tidal waves could put out. I wanted him to hurt, just as I had, I wanted him to see how much I was affected by that very moment, the moment I had reached the top of the mezzanine steps and saw it all, and I wanted him to know I wasn't one to forgive and forget by just a simple 'sorry'. I wasn't like that, and if he was one to think I was, that showed just how much he knew me and how much he cared. "Maybe you've forgotten, but I haven't! I can't just dismiss something you've never apologized for! You went around my back, Takuya, was it really worth it? Was _she _worth it? If she was what you were after the whole time, I would have bowed out, you could've just asked! But I guess you were too caught up in the moment! Well, thanks for destroying the only happiness I had!"

I began to stomp off when I found it extremely hard to continue. I stopped and put my head down to stare at my shoes. I held myself in my arms, feeling his stare burning through me. I didn't know why I felt any kind of remorse for all that I just said. I _should_ have been angry, I had a _right_ to it. He had it coming to him for years and I finally gave it to him, I should have been okay with it. But now I was here hating myself for yelling at him, trying to give him what he deserved, dishing out vengeance where it was due. And now I could just see his face in my head, the way I knew he was looking at me in that moment in reality. His soft auburn eyes showing all of his own remorse and sadness. A look that just cried out to the sky, crying out to the pouring rain. The look I had in my eyes on those days my face was drenched with my own tears, when I hugged my legs up close to me and just thought about how everything went wrong, if there was just some way I could change things so I didn't have to feel this sorrow. The look of hopelessness.

I struggled not to cry. I _wouldn't_ show weakness, I _wouldn't_ allow myself to stoop to such a low level as to do that. I was self-regulating; I didn't have to be buried by all these futile emotions. I didn't have to have someone there all the time to catch me when I fell. In fact, before someone even came around, I'd make sure I was on my feet. Help was something I refused to ask for, nor wanted. I had to be reliant on myself; I couldn't let phantasmagoria get to me and soften me. I had always been rather independent, so nothing should change, despite how I became when coming here to the Digital World. Koji didn't change anything, nothing besides throwing my emotions to the back of my mind. They weren't removed. In a way, I didn't _want _them to disappear. To be stuck in perpetual emotions was almost a comfort, painful, but nonetheless, it gave me a feeling of life. I hadn't completely drowned in the waves of my transgressions, and that made me crave any sense and sensation of livelihood. It was like me drug. I needed it to survive. Withdrawal would come upon me without it. That's why I had to strive to receive it. Despite the times that I wanted to be freed from these emotions, I'd _die_ without them.

I held myself tighter, gripping my fingers firm against my arms. I looked up, straight forward into the eerie darkness, looking for something—anything—that would give me some sort of mental support. "You enjoy doing this to me, don't you?" I surprised myself with my voice coming out toxic like poison, cold like ice. It was a hiss that fitted how I was feeling to a T. If gestures and tones could commit homicide, he would have his time quickly approaching. Too bad I didn't lose control of my Beast Spirit when he was around; it would have made life simpler. "This is all just a sick little game for your entertainment, is it not? Why don't you find someone else to play with? This is getting old."

"Miri…" I could hear his voice cracking at the source, but I tried my hardest to ignore it, all that emotion that had always gotten me to break down before, I had to block it out. The best I could do was walk away, which is exactly what I proceeded to do. I knew that if I didn't leave now, his words would make me stay. Just saying the name he had given me back when we were six meant so much to me, hearing it again as he always used to say it, it almost brought me to my knees. But I held my legs in place, locking my knees so they wouldn't bend.

I took a step and a breath. This wasn't as hard as I had lead myself to believe. Just one step, I could take one more step. I did so and repeated the mental coach of _one more step, just take one more step_. It was working for my body, but my mind was still not off of topic. I was being offered the temptation to turn around and apologize. But I mentally shook my head; it wasn't my fault. It was his fault. I was always the victim, but too many times was I made the bad guy. I wouldn't stand for it, I would rise up against that little voice in my head that told me make things right. Well, if he wanted everything right in the same way I did, he would have to do it himself. Prove that he had matured in the situation, he could offer up some sort of conditions that we'd both agree to. I wasn't the weaker one here, I would wait until he caved. I could do that; I could be patient enough as to await said agreements.

Managing to get far enough away that I couldn't feel his stare, I slowly made my way into the darkness, noting a canyon nearly completely shrouded in the haze just off to my left. I had to remind myself to still retain my common sense and remember to keep my mind off of the things that'll drag me down without any other matters distracting me. I had to keep track of my environment and location, that was the main thing. And while doing such, I had to keep telling myself to cool down. But there was a part of me that didn't want to feel better about this. It was the emotion I knew and was used to, maybe that was part of it. I scowled, the thoughts of the past coming into my head. _I knew Takuya longer than I knew anger and loneliness…But why do I know them better? Is it because all of the things I thought to be true showed me those were the only things that could remain constant and unchanging?_

Kicking a rock with the toe of my shoe and my hands in my pockets, I thought hard about everything I thought I knew. I furrowed my eyebrows. There was really nothing I could be truly sure of. Everything that I thought to be true turned out to be all lies. I couldn't find anything to put my faith in that I actually found reliable. There was still Koji, but I found it awkward to speak of the things I went through with Takuya to him. If he were to get the wrong idea and thought that I actually still _cared _about Takuya, I would probably kill myself. I couldn't be sure what the Warrior of Light would do, but I was afraid to think about it. I was afraid of those who found things better in life and just packed up and closed up shop. I hated to be left for dead, with nothing more than my foolish dreams and fears to go on a free exploration of my mind.

I climbed up on a fairly large boulder and sat down on top of it. Propping my chin on my knuckles, I just stared out into the blackness that surrounded me from every direction. I had thought I'd gotten better since my arrival here, but really, I had a growing doubt. Nothing had changed than back then, and I loathed that knowledge. If only things had been different then, if I hadn't been "with" Takuya, if I knew and could've stopped what happened to Koichi.

Koichi. My _nii-san_.

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted by footsteps walking in my direction. A voice emerged from behind me, cutting through the darkness like a knife through butter. "Are you always like this?" The voice was soft, the tone seemingly more concerned than how the words were put together. If I would have just seen the question written out, I would've assumed it was more of an annoyed rhetorical inquiry. But really, it was quite the opposite. And that surprised me.

I shifted my position so that I cradled my head in the flats of my hands. I let out an exasperated groan as I heard the footsteps turn into the sound of shoes digging into the rock in effort to climb up it. I didn't feel like having any unwanted visitors at that particular moment in time. Or really any other time, that matter. "Do I really wanna know what you want, Zoe? If you've come to provide moral support, I'm not gonna listen. Wake me when your lecture ends." I didn't feel she would provide me with anything, namely anything that would be of any use to me. She didn't appear to be very educated in the area I was dwelling upon, but I didn't really read up on her to be completely sure.

She smiled, or at least tried to. I saw by the look in her eyes that she was trying to force some sort of positive expression onto her face. "C'mon, now that I'm not the only girl in the group, we have to rely on each other. We can't have those boys taking all the world-saving glory, can we?" She looked to me for a response, got none, only an unbelieving stare, and decided to continue, "I don't know what went on between you and Takuya, but I can tell it's not right, and no one's getting any good out of it. If you told me what happened, maybe I can help." That was just about a hint and a half that had 'let me into your life' written all over it like graffiti on a brick wall.

I narrowed my eyes, looking off into nothingness while just pretending I wasn't having this conversation. "Doubt it," I replied quickly and without emotion. "Though you can help by backing the hell off and staying out of my life." I tried to keep my mind off of her never-ending staring at me, her waiting for some nice, friendly reaction to come from me under some demeanor. She should've known by now that that just wasn't going to happen and she was just going to have to frickin' deal with it.

She suddenly giggled, that among all the things she's said and done since she got here to er, "chat" with me taking me by the most surprise. "Fine. I'll get off of the touchy stuff. Ya know, you're actually a good singer. Now I know why you got those notes in that Evanescence song. You've got a good voice." I ignored all of her compliments, which I knew were all just an attempt to make me feel less rough around the edges and actually open up to her. "You should sing me a song. Why put such a nice voice to waste?"

She caught me on a weak spot. Even though I wouldn't want to sing for her personally, I did love to sing. I'd been told in the past I didn't seem like that type, but really, music was one of my few passions that I took at a rather high level. I looked at her through the corner of my eye and said, "I can think of many answers to that question, but nonetheless, I was probably going to do it to myself, anyway. And don't think you've won, because you haven't." I took a deep breath, thinking of the lyrics that were to come out of my mouth. Despite my memory for most other things, as long as I had a melody in my head, I learned a song in a rather short time. And it was able to stick as well, which was all the more surprising.

"The walls between you and I, always pushing us apart. Nothing left but scars fight after fight, the space between our calm and rage started growing shorter, disappearing slowly day after day…

"I was sitting there waiting in my room for you. You were waiting for me too, and it makes me wonder…

"The older I get, will I get over it? It's been way too long for the times we missed, I didn't know then that it would hurt like this, but I think the older I get, maybe I'll get over it. It's been way too long for the times we missed. I can't believe it still hurts like this.

"The time between those cutting words. Build up our defenses, never made no sense, it just made me hurt. Do you believe that time heals all wounds? It started getting better, but it's easier not to fight when I'm not with you.

"I was sitting there waiting in my room for you. You were waiting for me too, and it makes me wonder…

"The older I get, will I get over it? It's been way too long for the times we missed, I didn't know then that it would hurt like this, but I think the older I get, maybe I'll get over it. It's been way too long for the times we missed. I can't believe it still hurts like this.

"What was I waiting for? I should've taken less and given you more, I should've weathered the storm. I need to say so bad, what were you waiting for? This could have been the best we've ever had.

"The older I get, will I get over it? It's been way too long for the times we missed, I didn't know then that it would hurt like this, but I think the older I get, maybe I'll get over it. It's been way too long for the times we missed. I can't believe it still hurts like this.

"I'm just getting older, I'm not getting over you. I'm trying to. I wish it didn't hurt like this. It's been way too long for the times we missed, I can't believe it still hurts like this…"

Zoe smiled, this time seemingly not faking it and dismissing the displeasure she had of talking to me and getting almost no affirmative response. Or at least hiding it well. "Well, at least that's still in you." She looked up at the dark, gloomy sky that held no light of sun, moon, or stars at all whatsoever, pondering something in her mind. "Hey, can you at least answer me this question?" I saw her face pretty much completely start glowing red in the darkness.

I laid down on my back, resting my hands under my head and closing my eyes briefly, thinking of all the things I could've been doing right then. "Do I want to even know your question?" I retorted back flatly, my mind wandering back onto the same, aggravating subjects they had been in for the past while. Music normally calmed me, but this time it had done little. I wanted to stomp away to avoid any interrogation from anyone and find someone to rip in half with my bare hands. But then again, there was another part of me, a weaker side that just wanted to crawl under a rock and cry its heart away in reliving memories in my mind. But sometimes I pretty much did obey that part, although I preferred the first over it.

She ignored me seemingly rhetorical question, even though I was literally asking her that specific question, and spoke nonetheless, in a quiet whisper that I under no circumstances expected at this point, "Do you still like Takuya?"

I nearly choked on my own saliva at her inquiry. Instantly I felt a paroxysm of rage, but I tried my hardest to contain it. I turned over onto my side, my back now to the Warrior of Wind. "Wish I never did in the first place…" I answered crossly, not technically answering her question, but still being a proper reply to it. "Don't know why you would even want to know that. Why would you even care enough to even bother asking?" I glared at the clouds of black, purple, and blue that shifted around before me and in every place I couldn't see at all other sides. "My life shouldn't even matter to you." I wanted her out of my head, to stop talking about things that made me wonder if fate had a reason for doing what has happened to me, to stop mentioning all the things that just want to make me scream, to stop inquiring about matters that I wasn't even sure of. I wasn't even certain of the answer of her previous question, and that really made me unsure of this whole situation. It made me frustrated that I couldn't even be definite in things that should have remained in the past, all the matters that I should have already forgotten. And maybe that was why I had forgotten many things of the past. I held onto the wrong things, making them the center of attention and never focusing on the things that truly mattered. I didn't allow myself to remember, because I simply _didn't care_ about everything else.

"You gotta think about the full picture, Mirai." Her opening phrase took me into slight astonishment. She was actually daring to tell _me_ what to do. Under most circumstances, I wouldn't take that lying down, but I was unusually curious as to what she had to say. "When you take a look at everything as a whole, you'll come to realize the world isn't as cold as you think. There are people out there that actually care about you and you actually matter to them. Maybe you can't see it, but really, there are people that want to see the bright person you are deep down. Past all of your anger and sorrow, there's someone there I really want to become friends with." She smiled at me the split-second I turned back to look back at her, and I turned back around so I could continue to scowl without any objections.

"I wish I could believe that." My mood not being lifted at all by her little "sentimental words", I got to my feet and hopped off the rock. "You're like every other person that talks to me. They say the same things as you just said now. But were there any actions behind those words? No. You think I'll actually get over it just by the word. It makes me believe that all you want to do is just make me shut up and get off your back. Well, I'll be off your back when you're in hell." I began to walk off.

"Mirai, stop! Don't take another step!" I paused, not turning around to look at her. She continued when I had halted, although I wasn't planning on staying. "I know you're upset right now, but must everyone, namely Takuya, take the blame for it? Is he really the reason behind all of this?"

That name burned in my chest and I was livid at Zoe now because she had mentioned that name. I wanted to Beast Spirit Evolve and destroy everything and everyone in my path. I could feel my pulse pumping through me at a rapid pace and my palms begin to sweat as I clenched them hard enough that my fingernails began to make them bleed. I craved something to beat into a pulp. I wanted to punch it till my arms were immobile and my knuckles were covered in crimson. "Yes, you don't understand what happened. Only if you were in my place, you would understand. It seems that not even _he_ understands. And if he doesn't care enough to even give a crap and remember, it shows just how much _he_ cares. Everyone thinks about forgive and forget, but he never apologized to get the forgiveness. As far as I'm concerned, he's no better than the dirt we walk on."

She frowned, giving me a WTF look. "Maybe _you're_ the one that has to apologize to _him_! Did you ever see how much he cares just by the way he acts around you? I haven't seen the real you for very long, but I can see it clear as day!" She went onto a much softer note, trying to get onto common ground with me, although I knew that wasn't going to happen. If it ever happened, it would be a shock to me. "He laughed with you, he tried to _kiss _you, he laughed with you, gave you a cute nickname. And by the sounds, he used to call you by it for a long time. Miri…"

I was standing over her in a second, glaring down with fiery eyes. "You have no right to call me by that name." I was ready to punch her lights out, my patience hanging on a very thin thread. I had to struggle with myself as to prevent myself from unleashing my fury upon her. "You make it sound like everything is all right, that it'd be okay! Haven't you ever considered the idea that maybe it's not a happy ending for every single person out there? Or are you too caught up trying to just get the clear from me to go for that stupid gogglehead? I don't care what you do, go for the _shiseiji_, you selfish _subeta_!"

She stood up and slapped me across the face. "Maybe it's you being the selfish one here! You were the one yelling at Takuya, and _you're_ the one waiting for the apology? I don't think he is really the one that has things that he should say sorry for!" She glared at me, giving me the it's-your-fault look that I was much too used to. I hated the words she used, the order she put them into, the tone that she used. It brought back so much for me, things that I didn't want to ever go back to.

I put my hand to my burning face, narrowing my eyes into a deep stare. She thought she knew me so well, when really, she didn't know me at all. She didn't know what happened, and she was making stupid assumptions. "You don't understand me. You're just like all the rest, none of them see me the way that I truly am. No one ever takes my side, and if you honestly think that you've actually done something for me, for _him_, you're dead wrong."

She stared back at me, though the absence of anger in her gaze was easily noticed by me. I didn't know she was keeping a relatively calm mood in a time like this. _Shows how much she cares._ "Haven't you ever thought that maybe you are the one that is wrong?"

I didn't know why she was going to this again. I was certain of the things I was speaking of and no stupid girl would stand in my way of such a thing as this that she knew little to nothing about. I wasn't going to take any of the crap that she was offering up, since she had no knowledge of what was going on. "What? I know I'm not wrong! You can't make any demands of me or my past! You can't claim that you instantly know me just because you know who I am now!"

She seemed to show no sympathy for me or anything that was happening at all whatsoever, which proved my thought that she was nothing more than uppity and selfish. "You're not that different from others! Don't think your situation is so different. People have got cheated on, got over it, and found someone better. Happy ending, okay?" Then that little strand of patience snapped.

Before I knew what I was doing, I had my fist connected with her face. "Okay, what about those that didn't get that happy ending, huh? You never hear about them! Well, I'll tell you! It's frickin' hell, all right? You don't know how much it hurts! How many sleepless nights I got because every time I closed my eyes, I saw the same thing! If you saw what happened, you wouldn't know even a fraction of the sadness, the rage, the pain that I felt! You can't say that you know how you feel, because you don't! You can't say to get over it, because I've tried! So why don't you just shut up and live your own life?"

I couldn't really find a good way to express my anger in a rational demeanor. I wanted to do so many things right then, but none of them would quench this need for relief alone. It's how it always was. I was a ticking time bomb, it was only a short matter of time till I gave way and lost it all. It made me think about all the things that had made me this way. How I was always short of patience, and yet, I had to keep all of my emotions bottled up. No one cared how I felt, so why express such things? Just because I felt some sadness, it didn't automatically assume that they were going to pull me in from the rain, give me love, and make sure everything was all right. Things were just not like that in any world. In a perfect world, maybe. But it still didn't remove the feelings of the things that had gotten you down. But then again, if it was perfect, there would be nothing to dwell upon, nothing that you could possibly be concerned about. If only that was the case.

For as long as I could remember, there was always something there, something buried that made me the insecure person I was. There was always someone that never seemed to care, and at times, it seemed like that person was everyone. There was no one to confide in that I could fully trust. I remembered that one of those people that I threw all my trust into was Koichi. He always looked out for me, he always was there to hold my hand and comfort me. But like all good things in life, he had to disappear. He was pulled from my arms, never to be seen ever again. That's what supported my reasoning that nothing good remains so. It's always tainted by something foul, like the world I was in at that exact moment. Perfection was something that never lasted; there was always something there to corrupt it.

I wished there was something that I could do to change that, something that I could possibly do to make it possible to find someone that I could rely upon. I preferred solitude and aloneness, and I could easily deal with it for a rather long period of time by myself, but at times, I felt that I needed something—or someone that could help mend the scars I bore. But then, if I had found some sort of reliable companion that I always thought could help me become who I truly was, I felt like I kept being stabbed in the back, everything would turn back to them and them alone, like I didn't matter anymore. A loathing would begin to build up, a distain that I just couldn't stand. It reminded me of part of a song, _Don't wanna hear your stories, don't wanna hear you laughing, don't wanna be standin' here taking your orders. Don't want the quality, don't want you to bother me. When I'm dead and buried, I don't want you to remember me…_

"C'mon, we're going so you can go make amends." A single tear escaped her eyes from the blow as she grabbed my arm and began pulling me back towards where the group was. I didn't know whether to call her headstrong or just plain stupid. Despite how much I yelled, how much I resisted her assistance, she still found a way to drive past it and try to force me into doing something that she thought would benefit the group as a whole. I decided to classify that at stupidity. Maybe just because everyone else would content by what was going on, I wouldn't be. I shouldn't have been forced into an apology for something I didn't even do. I wasn't my fault, why did I have to play the weaker link? Was I the little scapegoat that took the blows for the group while everyone else was as happy as could be? No matter what Zoe was thinking she could do, I wasn't going along with it as long as I was living and breathing.

I ripped out of her grasp by whipping my arm around. "You're not making me go anywhere! And even if you make me go, I won't say whatever you want me to like this is some sort of movie and it's all just a script! Life isn't a movie, there's no little plotline we're following, there's no acting! And so I'm not going anywhere without a fight!" I walked off into the distance, my thoughts clouded with thoughts of how everyone was trying to control me, like I was some sort of slave. I wasn't going to concede to those demands, I wasn't going to submit to those who weren't of higher authority than I.

Suddenly, I made a misstep and my legs buckled under me. I felt myself plummeting into darkness and heard myself screaming until my lungs and throat went sore. Battered by the canyon wall, I recklessly reached out for something I could take hold of. My hands beat against protruding rocks as I struggled to grasp something to stop falling. But then I felt my back hit a hard surface, a small shelf a distance down from the top. I let out a groan as I wiped a mixture of blood and sweat off my face. I pulled my head over to look downwards. I had no hint of the bottom being even relatively close to my location. All I could see was blackness, and it was closing in at all sides.

* * *

Before I opened my eyes, I felt all of the pain radiate from my entire body. I reminisced over what had happened, forcing the memory to replay in my mind's eye. I felt conscious of my surroundings, taking time to hear everything that surrounded me. I heard whispers and the shuffling of feet. Then I felt something cold and wet—a dampened cloth, possibly—graze over my forehead. I took in the feeling of the soft material and took a long, strained breath, trying to figure out my situation without opening my eyes. I recognized the voices easily, already figuring beforehand at everyone that was there, that they were the Legendary Warriors. The thing that bothered me the most was the wondering of who was touching my face. I felt them tuck a stray hair from my face behind my ear and dab my cheeks with the cloth.

I wrapped my head around the feeling of their touch. Gentle and caring. It felt like I was being stroked with a cotton ball that was being held by an angel. Never before had something felt so good, so rich in relief. With the touch, all of my pain seemed to just cease right then and there. I became conscious of a liberation from my head down to my feet that made me release all of my harms of all sorts. Taking another breath and then blowing it out again, it was easier than previously. I focused on the tender sensation on my face and everything else followed in perfection.

My allowed my eyelids to flutter open and I found myself staring at a compassionate, concerned face. I subconsciously reached up with a single hand and stroked his cheek, whispering out, "Angel of Light…" I stared up at his crystalline sapphire orbs which gazed back at me, and laid all of my attention upon it. A smile escaped my lips before I could stop it and a nonchalant expression was returned, all of his words expressed in his deep, mesmerizing eyes.

Another voice snapped me back into reality. "Bokomon, are you sure that you didn't give her any painkillers that would drug her up?" I heard JP ask, most likely referring to my latest action. His comment made me smile turn back into a frown, everything returning back to me in a single instant and making me suddenly feel very sour and angry with the world around me. How quickly things could change for the worst, a snap of the finger was like the butterfly effect.

I felt my face grow crimson, a mixture of anger and embarrassment at the same time. I didn't know what currently overpowered what. "W-what happened?" I questioned, my mind failing me of what exactly happened. I raised my arm to rub my head, but in the process, my hand touched his. Before the realization hit me to move it, I froze. A few moments passed and my hand just slid back down to my side. "It's all blurry…" All I could remember was screaming, echoing in my ears and reverberating in my head.

"Zoe said you stormed off and then fell into the chasm. I'm pretty sure everyone heard your scream, but we didn't know what happened until Zoe came running." I didn't bother looking at the speaker. I knew the voice when I heard it, and when I had, I felt a hurt larger than the physical filling my body. It was in my head, my heart, my whole being. It felt like I was being stabbed in the back on each word, no, each individual syllable. With that metaphorical blade, I wanted to steal it and stab him with it, so he could see just what it felt like. What it felt like to know pain like never before.

I didn't care what had happened, how Zoe reacted, who the hell even saved me in the first place. I didn't want to be where I was, and so I abruptly decided to do something about it. I sat up, ignoring the soreness that filled my entire back and struggled to my feet. I didn't care how stubborn I was acting; I had a reason behind my actions, and that should have been enough to justify all of this. I doubled over and had barely managed to catch myself, tensing up my body as to lock it into place and prevent my stumbling. I tossed my head around, glaring at the Warrior of Wind as if she somehow, for some demeaning reason, even mattered in the least. "Oh and now you're expecting a thank you, I'm assuming. I never asked for your help. I don't want it, and I don't need it."

She returned the facial expression, giving me also a look of intense questioning in the mix of it. "Why do you honestly think I did it to owe you? No one here is your enemy, I don't know why you see us in that way." She crossed her arms and batted a look towards Takuya, making a face that seemed to say that she was giving up on me once and for all. But was I really supposed to care? No, it was more of a relief than anything that she was giving up.

"I really don't know what you want me to say, Miri." _That name. Why is he using that name?_ "I don't understand why you're still mad at me. It's been three years, and you haven't even _tried _to get over it. Have you ever known that it wasn't—" I cut Takuya off, my temper rising and taking hold of me.

"Get over it, Takuya? Honestly? I thought you were different, okay? And you never even gave me an explanation or anything! No apology, nothing!" I balled my fists, wanting to take him down at that very instant, although my conscience told me not to. There was another voice inside that said 'yes, just save your strength. He will know no mercy when the time is right…' I conceded to that voice, dropping my arms down back to my sides. I shook my head, knowing he just wasn't going to get how I felt, how much that it really affected me that I cared so much.

"Come on, guys, don't fight," Tommy cut in, trying to keep the peace among our stupid little group that we could hardly call a team. "We've got more important things to do, like get to the Rose Morning Star and beat Cherubimon."

Despite how much I wanted to beat Takuya instead, I knew Tommy was right. Cherubimon was a bigger threat than that moron Warrior of Flame. I reminded myself of the goal in hand, and even though that didn't help at all, I had to persist. I couldn't control the emotion building inside of me and I wanted to release it, give those who done wrong their just desserts. "Fine, let's go to that stupid hellhole," I scoffed, narrowing my eyes into a glare at the ground before my feet.

At that moment, the ground split and crumbled into chunks of rock and a strong wind picked up. It was the force of a tornado, whipping around and seemingly trying to attack us. But instead, we were uplifted and I could for a split-second see a large pea-green blur before being momentarily enveloped in darkness. The darkness was soon replaced by falling and hitting a rather spongy surface. For a moment, I thought I could feel a pulsating, like it was breathing, but left that up to my own imagination and my increased heart rate at that particular moment. Whatever the place was, I wondered, we were either teleported there or sucked in by that gust of wind.

We landed in oddly colored tunnel-like corridor, spongy like previously noted, but the smell almost immediately taken in. But it made sense since it looked as though we were trapped inside some demented living creature, by the red and yellow bone marrow-looking colors of the entire passage. But be that as it may, it was highly unlikely, and thus I dismissed the idea almost in that instant, thinking a little bit rationally on the idea, boosted with the distractions of all of the other things plaguing my mind at that moment.

Complaints acknowledged and overall ignored, I brought myself to my feet and looked around. I ran my hand along the side of the wall or whatever it was, thinking not about what it may be or how it came to be in the state it was in. None of these things really dawned on me as to consider them, having been distracted by everything that had been in my head before any of this even occurred. We appeared to be trapped, and I doubted I could deal with the confined space without losing control and doing some kind of damage. After all, I had a right to it, he had it coming. It was all just a matter of time and how much hell I wanted to give him at that moment. And at that very instant in time, I wanted to give him everything I got, just so he could get a little sample taste of what I had in me.

I walked down part of the hallway and just saw a giant eyeball-looking thing that was at the end of it, marking a dead end. I watched as JP had mindlessly walked past me, ignoring me and I him. "Aye yai yai, a dead end," he stated, seemingly more to himself than me. _Oh, so now people that have no idea what's even going on aren't paying attention to me? That just figures. It's all so typical._ Then, a large, actoplasmic-appearing red hand emerged out of the wall and shoved him into the eyeball, out of sight. The arm retracted back in to where it had appeared like nothing had even happened. It was strange. Maybe there was some sort of parasite living in the walls or something.

Walking back over to the rest of the group in silence, I heard Takuya ask Zoe a question and the Warrior of Wind's response, "I saw him go that way." As I neared, I saw her point in my general direction and said nothing. She noticed me and thus asked me, "Hey, Mirai, have you seen JP? I thought for sure he went this way." She gestured to the direction of which I was coming from, past me and towards the dead end of which JP had disappeared into.

I said nothing, not wanting to say anything. It wasn't my problem, and I wasn't about to make it my problem. They didn't care about what was going on about me, so why should I give a crud about them? So what if he disappeared, I wasn't the Warrior of Thunder's keeper, nor did I want to be. I just wanted to get the hell out of there and away from everyone that had a problem with me. I didn't want to deal with them, I had my own complications to dwell upon. I didn't care about them, or their stupid friends, and vice versa. If I got lost, no one was going to look for me, because they simply didn't have enough space in their selfish, black hearts as to let anyone else in. That's how it was, how I was stuck with it being, and honestly, I didn't even find a reason for me to let them inside, some sort of reason that I would have a single need as to keep them in the confines of my heart. I knew it would all end for the worse anyway, as it always has. I never got a happy ending, no little thing that I could possibly do to make things better. Because there was always someone there to ruin it again, people so self-involved that consequences didn't even matter, as long as numero uno got what they believed they deserved.

They breezed past me and walked ahead, seeing the large eyeball as just a thing that showed you couldn't go on in that direction. And of course, Takuya had to make a stupid comment, as if everything wasn't as bad as it seemed, as if he didn't care about what was going, what anyone else thought or felt, "The owner sure has a scary decorator." He cupped his hands over his mouth, shouting out for his disappeared comrade, like he could actually hear his voice, "JP! Where are you?"

"He couldn't have just disappeared out of thin air," Tommy stated, as if that wasn't even remotely obvious. Stupid kid didn't know left from right and he thought that he was telling us something that we didn't already know. He was a useless child, I didn't understand why they kept him around. If I had been in charge of things, I would have sent him back home to his stupid family on a Trailmon the very first day. He and I both knew that he didn't deserve to be here, and he would be any good, either. He was a stupid kid that does nothing but get in the way and get us all killed in the end. Anyone would realize this by just looking at him: He was worth nothing to our group and only deserves abandonment.

"Mirai, you have had to have seen him! What happened to him?" Zoe shot her head around and cast me a glance that tried to look past my scowling face and into my head. I wouldn't let her into it, into all the things I think about and contemplate, and even if I did give her even a glimpse of everything that was caged in corridors of my mind, she wouldn't understand. No one ever did, no one knew how I felt deep down, and no matter how many times I tried to exhibit even a fraction of this emotion, I'd always find myself alone, disowned by all those I thought to be true. I was always stabbed in the back, time and time again, and from that experience, repetitive, agonizing gashes into my flesh, I learned there was no one I could lay confidence into.

I said nothing, staring past her and into the hypnotic eye behind the group. As they were watching me, I was just gazing into it, feeling drawn into it. I wanted to take that calling, just to get away from those who antagonize me and drag me down into the perpetual feelings of hopelessness and despondency. I wouldn't be swayed by those actions as I had in the past. I would let all those who dared to do such know my anger, let them learn of the taste that is bitterness. I would teach all that darkness was nothing to be afraid of; it was something that should be pondered and taken as comfort. The shadows shot across on the walls would make shapes of friends, no longer the frightening foes that aligned with creatures and half-dead apparitions.

I didn't look at anyone's faces. I didn't want them to think that I was responsible for the actions of which I didn't even commit, although I knew already I was to be blamed. I held no worthy innocence within my being; I never had anything that was worth anything to anyone, aside from a seemingly-always unprepared stature that allowed anyone to place the fault upon my shoulders. I was always the one to take the fall for things, Yukio made certain of that time and time again. I didn't want to be the one that got all of the undeserved that punches and just rolled with them without a problem, I had gotten too many bruises for that to be at all amusing. Now, I knew I had to be the one to be throwing the punches, making them hurt and bleed. Only then would they understand just how I felt, so they know I wasn't just giving false pretenses and earn some pity points.

Takuya stepped up to me, putting my face in him that I could feel his breath blowing on my face. "Okay, I don't know what kind of thing you did, but you have to tell us where JP is. This isn't some joke, no little act of revenge, because that would be just cold for dragging other people into your problems." It surprised how calm he was. With those particular words, on first draw, I would've thought he was exhibiting some sort of hard anger. But no, he was just using a slightly rough voice to make sure I took it what he was saying and so I'd know he wasn't kidding about anything he said.

I didn't doubt that he wasn't joking, I just didn't give a _kuso_. I shoved him back, almost catching him off balance and almost causing him to topple over backwards. Normally, I would've laughed, but honestly, I just wasn't in the mood for rude humor, not even if it was of my doing. "I. Didn't. Do. Anything," I managed to growl through gritted teeth, annunciating each and every word as a single separate sentence in itself. I wanted to do more than shove him then, I wanted to tackle him down and just beat the crap out of him with my fists in his face, until there was no turning back. I wanted to relieve of all this anger that was stored up inside me, making me dangerous to the touch.

Zoe was the one to step up after this, a little more than apparently pissed off by my shoving of her little crush or whatever she called it. I'd rather call it the annoyance that gave Takuya life insurance. "Hey, if you have a problem—!" she was suddenly cut off by someone that for once wasn't me, although I was eventually going to do it anyway. There was only so much of that irritating voice that I could take at one time, and I was about to breach that limit.

"Wha~!" Takuya suddenly gasped and spun around, looking back at the eyeball once again as if it was for some dumb reason appear to have called out to him, the moron. If he was hearing things, that would only make me all the more annoyed and eager to make him hurt, to see if he was hearing things beyond the ringing in his ears I would cause.

"Huh? Takuya, what's wrong?" Tommy questioned, as if these little comments would actually prove his worth here. He never cared how I was, no one never really had. That just caused me to grow all the more eager to inflict some sort of damage upon these stupid kids, to show them what conditions really needed the questioning of health, and also the treatment. People actually think they help anyone or anything by asking questions? That was demeaning, a little thing that I could just do without hearing.

"You hear something?" Zoe asked, stating the plainly obvious. Such pathetic inquiries for such pathetic people, if only they knew what importance really was. To Zoe it would be all about her, she came first. Well, maybe things just didn't work that way, maybe someone had to show her the right direction. And a little physical convincing wouldn't be so horrible, would it? _If only I could show her just what came first in life. Namely wounds to be tended…I can show her that through experience…_

"No, more like a feeling. JP's in trouble."_ As if that makes sense. How could you possibly know about feelings, or sensing when someone needs help? Is that a little thing that you recently developed, or something that you just don't care to use on significant others? Am I just one you never cared to figure out? Was I the one that you just never found important as to know when I needed assistance, and enough to actually gain it from the likes of you? Honestly, I don't care anymore. When you're out in the cold and looking for love and compassion, don't come knocking on my door. I won't answer, just because that's what you deserve. Maybe things would be different if you hadn't found yourself to be so selfish…_

At that moment, large, metal-appearing slabs fell down from the ceiling, like a brown, polished steel that rained upon us. I maneuvered away from the falling steel, and Koji grabbed Tommy in his arms when he lost his balance. When the slabs hit the ground, they seemed to melt back into the corridor, becoming that of the ground we stood upon. More of those actoplasmic, ghost-like arms emerged from the walls and reached towards us. I could tell what they wanted; they wanted to seize us and drag us into those portals, where we would suffer ultimate torture. What such persecution would be faced, I had no guess, but nonetheless, I felt that there was something important behind it all.

"Guess that feeling was right!" _I don't understand why you believe in such things as feeling when others are in peril. Such care for others makes me sick, the way you honestly think that you matter to them enough as to know what they're going through. You don't know what it feels like as someone else, to know their pain, their sufferings. All their emotions. To think that you know what that really feels like, you're lying to yourself and only causing others pain._

"Get away, Slimy! Back! Back!" Tommy tried to do actual damage by threatening to step on the red hand. I doubted it would do any damage worth even noting, aside from maybe being pulled into the ground by its grasp upon his ankle. At least he would be gone and it would be at least a little more quiet, there being less annoyances around to cause noise worth beating.

Another arm shot out of the wall, went inches past Takuya and touched Zoe's _oshiri_. Violated, she grabbed one of the slabs and tried to whack it, missing and nailing the unsuspecting, moronic gogglehead over the head. The _shiseiji _deserved that one, he deserved every blow he received. Despite the vengeance not being delivered by me, the suffering made it all suffice enough. Though he merited much more than the previous and was still earning more, it still didn't do me any pleasure as to witness such things.

With a silent gesture shared between members of the group, they all Spirit Evolved into their Human forms. I did nothing of that sort, feeling that none of this was my problem, nor was I going to make it so. If they were going to waste their time and effort as to Spirit Evolve and fight something that wasn't even a Digimon, then so be it. I wasn't going to assist them and become one of them, I wasn't like them. They knew I wasn't, and they were the reason it was like that. _Apparently_ I was different. _Apparently _I couldn't fit in. _Apparently_ what I said didn't matter._ Apparently_ I was loved by no one.

"These things probably attacked JP, too," Agunimon concluded, trying to find some glimmer of evidence that I wasn't the only thing likely enough as to shove the Warrior of Thunder into a portal. I would have nonetheless, probably; I would have done it to every one of them. I didn't care what happened to them, they only get in my way. If only things would have been this easy back then, I would have been rid of all these nuisances long ago. The first candidate being without a doubt, Karin, so none of this would have happened in the first place. Everything would be so simple, so perfect. Maybe I wouldn't have even had to come to this stupid place in the first place.

"But where is he now?" Kazemon questioned, looking around. She still didn't seem to accept the fact that I might not have been the one to get rid of JP, since it was the most likely idea and it seemed that she didn't trust me anyway. I didn't doubt that no one standing there did. I didn't lay trust them in them either, I had no reason to. I learned that to trust was like to give someone right to your health and life, to let them into the farthest corners of your head.

They turned around to look at the eyeball. "The eyeball," the Warrior unworthy of being the element of Flame began. "I guess that it's some kind of portal, and he's on the other side." Everyone Di-Spirit Evolved, a demeaning cause because they were only evolved for a couple minutes. "So we're gonna have to go through, too. It might be the only way." He began to walk to the portal, reaching out towards it as everyone just stood there watching. Until Koji grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks right before he went in. "What? Is something wrong, Koji?"

Koji gave him a stare as if he was the absolute dumbest person on earth, of which he had a good chance of being. "You're not serious about going in there, are you?" A deranged look as a response. "We don't even know if that's where he went. And even if he did, what are the chances the portal will take us to the same place? We have to think this through first before doing something totally rash." I couldn't have thought of a better way to say what he was thinking, so calm. But I didn't want to be completely soft with that gogglehead anyway, I wanted to tear him limb from limb, until there was nothing left. That craving to make him see just how much I cared about what happened was growing increasingly stronger, almost undeniably irresistible.

Takuya spun around, about to give his I'm-not-going-to-leave-anyone-behind speech, of which I knew by now was only just a load of crap. Just words he threw together to make everyone believe that they were someone special to him, despite how true that was. He didn't care about anyone but himself, and used a façade of a sweet, charming guy to only get what he desired. Whoever got hurt, it didn't matter; it never mattered, as long as he got out without a scratch in the end. "Well, what do you propose then? We can't just stand here and hope for the best, JP may need us. And I don't care how many portals we have to go through, I'm gonna make sure we're all together and that we all get out okay."

"I'm with Takuya.—" _As usual. It's obvious you'd agree with him of all people._ "—JP may just be another guy trying to hit on me and score points, but that makes him no less of my friend." Zoe stepped up next to Takuya and smiled, letting out a girly giggle that made me just want to kill her all the more. Not as much as the Warrior of Flame standing next to her, but she was increasingly getting more and more on my nerves. I'd kill one, then go through the next one as a little dessert. Then I'd go to JP and Tommy to see who wanted to be the next contestant.

"All for one and one for all!" Tommy blurted out, pumping his fist up into the air. "Now into the fray!" Then he more or less composed himself. "And remember, don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes." _Scratch that, I know who my next victim would be after I'm done with Romeo and Juliet over there…_

I involuntarily cringed at my latest thought. They way he could just forget about me and move on to another girl just made me sick to my stomach. Did nothing I said earlier that day mean thing to him? Did anything I _ever _said mean anything to him? It explained a lot as to why he did nothing as to make amends with me, but nonetheless, it didn't quench that anger—that craving for the much-needed apology that I had bubbling up in my chest. He never made a single effort to do anything about our broken bond, he just merely snipped the ties that held us together like he was just sick and tired of it. Just overly sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Koji crossed his arms, letting out an exasperated sigh. "I've heard Zoe talking about you, saying you were brave and bold. Well, I think one more should be added: brave, bold, and incredibly stupid." With a look of 'fine, you win, moron' from Koji, Takuya, Tommy, and Zoe headed through the eyeball. Koji glanced back at my expressionless face. "I'm not forcing you to come or anything, but I think it'd be better if we all stayed together as a group." With that said, he disappeared into the portal.

I contemplated a moment about my next action. It seemed that the only way to go was actually through one of the eyes. I didn't want to go the same way they had, however, so I made my way back in the other direction. At the other end of the hall, was another eye. At my passing of the entire corridor, I noticed no other way out, so it was my only option that I was willing to abide with. I wondered what it held for me on the other side, what this place even was. It didn't seem natural, although for the Digital World, I had to make an exception. There were things that I thought couldn't exist here, things that in the human world, would be deemed unreal and something as in a story or such.

Whatever notions I was getting from that portal, of which I weren't completely certain, they were making my emotions soar. I found things inside me I didn't know existed, buried deep down until this moment then they were uncovered and revealed to me as what they truly were. I didn't know what to make of them; habit made me wary, on my guard of things that may try to get inside my head. I was heated in rage and fury for thinking that something would try to attempt to do such. It made me believe that all wasn't unruffled in this place, there was some strange force hidden from plain sight, readying itself to take over its victim, and this put me in a bad way mentally.

I stepped up to the portal, preparing myself for whatever may be awaiting my arrival within what area lied before me. There was no way for me to really assume what kind of monstrosities were there, poised and crouched down to strike. My Spirits sent me a bad feeling down my spine, like some kind of warning as for me to know that evil hid within the shadows of the next location that I needed to go. The Spirits seemed to be aware of everything that was there, but hiding it all from me, nevertheless. It would have assisted me to know end to have knowledge of what I was about to face, but for whatever reason it may have been, they were to be kept a secret from me.

Maybe the Spirits weren't completely sure, themselves, and so, didn't want to worry me. It didn't seem like the case, since I knew they were highly reliable sense-wise. But why would they hide something from me anyway? They were connected to me, more than before because of my new D-Tector. I felt that since my D-Tector repaired itself, so was the bond between me and the Spirits of Time. It was strengthened beyond what it had ever been, but now, it was strange.

Now, soon after we defeated Ranamon and Mercurymon, that connection seemed to have gone dim again. It seemed that the angrier I got, the weaker our bond gradually became. Maybe it was because when I fought with that moronic Warrior of Flame, I was disobeying my intentions here in the Digital World, doing opposite as what my goal in mind was. That thought, when it had all come together in such a way, just made me simmer under the collar. I was solving my problems, despite the fact I was doing it by force. It seemed to be the only way that was getting things done.

All of these things put into my mind, I walked forward into the portal, suddenly feeling that what I just did was a very bad idea.

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**Finally, they're into Sakkakumon. I'm gonna have an interesting time with these next couple of chapters, and these are the ones I'm gonna really want support. So reviews would help me out more than ever for this! Thanks!**


	27. Chapter 25

**Finally I have completed chapter 25, one of my favorite chapters to write so far! I've been waiting for the Sakkakumon parts for so long that now that I'm finally into them, I could just cry (but don't worry, I won't.). I've actually reached the halfway mark, and I totally can't believe it. And I guess I owe it to all my reviewers that kept me going for almost a year now. Whew, what a long, strange journey it's been with the Frontier gang! **

**Takuya: Are you calling me strange? *glares***

**Me: No, don't worry, Taku. You're not strange *looks at Minamoto Twins and mouths 'just totally insane'*. Anyway, getting on track here, I actually got the responses I wanted for the previous chapter. I wanted to make Mirai so off the edge that even the readers get pissed off with her (that means you, GaarasMyBoyzz, thanks!). It's preparation for something I'd like to call "character development: KH style"**

**And to be completely honest, when writing part of this chapter I had a major headache and I say this because it was really ironic because of the part I was at in this. A cookie to anyone who can figure out what part.**

**Oh, and answering some other comments brought up in my reviews, Mirai's repetition is because she's running out of things to be mad at, though she hasn't really figured that out for herself quite yet. She will eventually, though, no worries.**

**Now finally, after this long-awaited moment (primarily for me. I couldn't wait to get this done!) I present-**

**Takuya: Wait! I wanna do it!**

**Me: *groans* fine...**

**Takuya: after all the hell we had to bear as some demented kid thought of a so-called masterpiece of a Frontier fanfiction (she said it, not me), here's chapter 25, the halfway marker with little to nothing to show for it! (me: gee thanks)... hey, I'm not even in this one! Where's the fun in that?**

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Chapter 25

Sometimes in the past, I was told I was running in the wrong direction. I had never gotten a chance to stand up for myself because everyone was telling me what I was standing up for was the wrong thing. Maybe things would have changed if I wasn't one to be told off so many times. I couldn't have found some way to break out of that little barrier that divided me from those who mattered. The rage that it caused me, it always buried and consumed me like a burning fire. I wanted someone to hear me, someone to pay attention to my begging for some sort of self-meaning that I failed to receive. I couldn't see any reason as to why I had been always the unheard, the unimportant, the unwanted. The mistake.

I felt these things coming back to me in a tidal wave of feelings when I found myself standing in the middle of absolutely nowhere. The ground under me was a rocky beach, all the stones smoothed by the water that lapped up from the large lake from time to time. I saw a rushing waterfall only meters away, mist rising up from the water rushing down. I could hear nothing, only the wind and the water being the only kind of accompanying sounds in this place that seemed to not even be a part wherever I had previously been only a mere few seconds before.

Looking up, I found the sky utterly unsettling. Thick, dark clouds covered the whole sky, not even leaving a single gap for the sun's light to peer through. And as if too match those current storm-appearing conditions, the wind was hard and brisk, and when it had hit my face, I felt pellets of water droplets strike me. The overall environment was cold, terribly cold. I felt a sense of foolishness rise when I scolded myself for leaving my sweatshirt back in that cave, leaving me only with a sleeveless shirt.

I gave myself reason to believe that none of this was my fault, I forced myself to believe it. It hadn't been my idea to come here, wherever the said 'here' was. I wasn't the one that was guilty for shoving through that stupid Warrior of Thunder through that eyeball into some other place. If I had been the one to do any of the things that got me here in this overly retarded place called the Continent of Darkness, I would have taken my blunder because I knew it was all me. But no, I refused to take the hit for something I had no hand in. Yet that was something I was stuck with, despite how much I didn't want it. Why did I always have to take the punch I wasn't even the one supposed to be on the receiving end of it? Did Fate have it all wrong? Or was this karma trying to make me screw up?

A strong notion shot up my spine that it was a horrible idea just to be here, all of the strange and unfamiliar things that I was being introduced to just adding up to be a bad decision of merely being present in such an area. I turned around to go back, but was startled to see the portal of my original passage had already disappeared as if it had never been there in the first place. I cussed in my head, finding no real good reason to vocalize it if there was no one there to hear. It was the same with anything that could've been said.

And it was the same even if there were people around. No one cared what I said unless it was the wrong thing. They always took the first opportunity without hesitation to pick a fault of mine and take it apart, examining and pointing out exactly what was wrong with me, as if it was some sick disease and they were trained professionals trying to figure out just what it was. They were just too high in their pride to expose their own problems and blemishes. Always dissecting mine to find something. What they were looking for, it was always the same. Mockery, scorning, blackmailing. Anything for their own gain. That's what it always was and how it will always be, I knew that for certain. It was just always anything and everything to end up on top.

"I knew you'd wander your way into my domain…"

I spun around and instantly met gazes with none other than the Warrior of Space. Her voice came off as relatively calm and quiet, as if this was already all anticipated and she had it all down like she had rehearsed it beforehand or something. She seemed to hold her cockiness down to a minimum, to display only a strong, non-boastful confidence. "But that's not much of a surprise, now is it? It's really quite simple to predict your moves." She cocked her head to the side as if to try to take me in from a slightly different angle, and I said nothing in response to her remarks. "All of your actions are driven by one single motive, the motive that always controlled you. Fear."

I found myself speculating what she was building up to. I knew she was mouthing off to prove something, but what it was, it was impossible to be sure. She never was one to say exactly what she was aiming to achieve, and I figured out she was extremely difficult to decode. If, metaphorically, I was able to get inside her head, I would be lost inside all off the things that were concealed within the depths, I could be sure. I wanted to see why she always seemed to be only after me, what I could've done to get such.

She continued, stepping forward so close to me that I had to look straight up to just see her concealed face and she was staring down at me like I was just a meek little insect she could crush with just the simple stomp of a foot. And with my tiny human frame, I was totally certain that she could've if she so desired. But she seemed to be going at more than just my death here, more something else that she had in mind than all I would have normally expected. "You blame others for your own mistakes, because you're afraid of the outcome. You use rage to solve all your problems, because attacking the problems we just give you the satisfaction of proving to yourself that you're strong. But really, it shows just how weak you really are. You're lying to yourself, you already know that, but you think you may convince yourself after repeating the concept time and time again. If only you could see just how foolish you really are, how blind you are when it comes down to the very truth."

I pulled out my D-Tector and held it tight in my grasp, gritting my teeth and letting a Beast-like growl escape from my lips. "You think I'm honestly going to believe that crud? Intimidation doesn't work if you keep sounding like a broken record. Everyone tells me the same things, and you seriously think that if one more person repeats it, I'm gonna believe it? To be honest, I think you're the one that needs the advice." I stared up at her with an unblinking glare.

Much to my bafflement, she then began to cackle a loud, devious laugh that echoed when bouncing off the water that was all around. "This is exactly what I was speaking of. You're response is stubborn and weak. You think that you sound strong, when really, your façade has cracked to reveal the one wearing the disguise, like those porcelain masks that only show your eyes. You're eyes are ever-changing, however, and that is one of the many things that allow me to see right through to the true you….They really are quite beautiful…" She reached out to stroke my face but I remained with my head cocked up toward her.

"Don't you even think about touching me!" I snapped, backing off from her reach slightly, but not even far enough for her to not be able to reach me. It was more or less a sign as to say I was prepared for whatever she threw at me, and I was going to come out on top no matter what, that I may avoid her at times, but not completely flee like a coward. Because I am not afraid! I am not a scared little child that'll just run away at the first given chance, I'm stronger than that! I stand up for what I believe in, I'll prove it to her just as I've proved it to everyone else! I'm not to be ignored! I have the strength to show that and I will, just like I've always have!

She chuckled at my threat like it was nothing, and put her hand down back to her side. "I wouldn't touch such a tainted creature such as you anyway. You have been derived of the truth, the light is no longer inside of you, and that makes you impure. My dear lord Cherubimon can set you back upon that path of right once more. I will be willing to give you one more chance, otherwise I have no choice but to eliminate you from this game."

A game. That's all she called it, and probably all she thought of this as. I was a little toy, her personal plaything in this world here. She would be toying with me all that she pleased, and there wasn't a single thing I could do about it. That's how it was before I started standing up for myself, everyone walked all over me and used me how they pleased. After a while, that just grew plain tiresome and I began to reach out and give them a taste of their own medicine. See how they liked being pushed around, being the little pawn and used for anything the superior pleased. I began to love the taste of such and grew fond of the pleasure it gave me. After all, I was leveling the playing field and serving just desserts. There was simply nothing wrong with what I was doing, there was no little catch to it.

"I'm not the one that's been knocked off the right path, it's Cherubimon and all who follow him, meaning you, Avaruusmon. To think I'd be deceived with the offer of joining you, I'd be stupid. You think that I'm actually that foolish as to willing go to your side as to destroy everything I came here to do? Despite how much I really hate being here, I know it's something I have to do, no matter how much I don't want to! I don't get a choice here, and even if I did, I'm sticking to what I'm supposed to!" I pressed the side button of my D-Tector and allowed that ring of translucent cerulean Fractal Code to appear around my hand.

"Sometimes, you just don't get a choice in the matter." With a swift kick that was invisible to the human eye, my D-Tector went flying out of my hand, her foot not even touching me. It skidded to a halt just a few feet from the rushing water of the river. "And right now, you're stuck with…discussing a few things with me." She had to pause to think of the right word, a pause that made me know that there was going to be more than just innocent talking. "What do you want to start with? I can give you that choice if you so desire." Her voice suddenly turned arrogant, using my own previous words against me in a way that was rather smug and self-righteous.

I pursed my lips, making sure to say nothing under such terms and matters. The wrong thing could cost me under these conditions, although if I moved fast enough and ever-so suddenly, I could've caught her off-guard to get my D-Tector. I figured that if I made no moves toward it or even looked at it, it would make it seem that I was unconcerned and knew I had already lost. But I was stubborn as to lose. I. Never. Lost.

She seemed rather satisfied that I didn't suggest a starting topic, allowing her to pick for herself. "Fine then." She twisted her head around and looked past me at something else, seemingly at the waterfall. "How about one of your brothers? Hmm…" She went into momentary thought, although it was rather evident that she already knew what she was going to talk about. "What about Yukio? You had some tough times in accordance with him. For example, all of those cold winters that he was told to pick you up from school and drive you home, but never showed up." She cocked her head in such a way that would've shown that she was smiling. "See for yourself."

Lifting a finger, she directed my gaze toward the mist rising up from the waterfall. In the shrouds, pictures began to form, scenes in full motion. Scenes that I recognized._______It was a cold, white winter and I was walking down the side walk, arms bundled around my chest, sour, but primarily doing the action to provide heat. He had promised that day he'd pick me up, but I got a message from the office that he called and said he made plans and so ditched me, leaving me to walk home in the freezing weather by myself._

_I pulled my hands into my sleeves and growled. It had been a horrid day in itself. Failed a couple papers, got caught in a fight with Karin and got sent to the principal's office, pissed off a teacher and then flipped him off, got sent to the principal's office again, and a few other things that I didn't feel like bringing up in my head for the umpteenth time. And added with Yukio's newest news to me, and just how it affected me, I was super pissed. I hated winter in general; it used to have great, heart-warming significance to me, but after one winter, it all changed and I began to despise that time of the year. I saw it for how it was; it wasn't joyful time that nothing goes wrong. No, things aren't perfect then, or any other time._

"He was never there for you, and yet, despite all the times you were there for him, it all meant nothing to him. He made your life hell, and for what?" I said nothing, not too certain how to answer that question, wondering if it was possibly rhetorical. "Do you remember those words that he said to you back when you were eight, right after

Koichi left?" Her voice gained poison with the last words, as if she was for whatever reason angry with Yukio as well. I wouldn't know why or how it was that way, but that's just how it appeared to me.

I narrowed my eyes and lowered my gaze. "I remember. You have no reason to remind me. I'm not going to feel sorry for myself and then join you just because you brought up something I just might have not gotten over yet. It's downright cowardly to do that." I glared down at my shoes, thinking hard about everything that he was implying with that, all that I could possibly remember. I knew thinking about it was probably her main intention, and I couldn't not think about it.

"And yet, you wouldn't hesitate to do the very same thing," she sneered in a light hiss. "It just goes to show that maybe we're not all that different as you've come to think. You just refuse to admit it, but you're a fitting candidate to be one to serve under Lord Cherubimon. Just find that little voice inside you that agrees with my words and for once in your life, listen to it. You've always come to do thing your way, never taking heed to that little voice that dwells within your being, called your conscience. You've always done things your way, not once thinking that maybe you could possibly going the wrong way, thinking everyone else was those that were steered astray. That's a fault of yours that's only grown stronger over time, so much that that voice has grown quiet to your ignorant ears."

I shook my head, refusing to believe—refusing to let myself give into the belief—all of her words. "There may be times that I've done wrong, but I repudiate your claims in saying that everything I do is wrong. There are things, there are people that know I have a good side. And just having them makes me better than you. You're just a selfish tyrant that makes game in bringing others down and I'll never back down from you, I won't concede!" I balled my fists, just wanting to sock her in the face. She wasn't the only person and just the matter of deciding who I wanted the most to have a fist indenting in their face made me steaming under my collar. Maybe she was the one that had to go first, but maybe she wasn't the one I wanted to go the most.

"Koji!" I continued, thinking that maybe it would help my case a little more and provide me with a bit more confidence. "Koji believes in me! He's been there for me and always will be! If I were to do so many wrongs, don't you think that maybe he would steer me back?"

She let out a nerve-wracking laugh. "Honestly, impudent child, you're becoming unbelievably desperate. You're resorting to the very think you swore years ago that you'd never have again. You swore you'd never sing of a love that never exists. Is he your only exception?" I just glared. "You heard your parents arguing that night, the very reason your father took that job that keeps him away from home often, and mere days later, that little Warrior of Flame—" I cut her off, my anger taking the hold it could.

"Don't you dare mention him!" I screamed, lunging for my D-Tector. I scanned the ring around my hand with the side button pressed, shouting out, "Execute! Spirit Evolution!" This time, I felt the rage and aggravation consume me, like it was trapped in my armor and crawling on my skin. It burned me and froze me to the core, but there was feeling that lingered through the emotion that I got happiness in. There was the part of anger I took pleasure in, I could feel it, it hadn't left me yet and left me for dead like I felt most have at that moment. I had to go to such measures as to protect my own honor. "Gryphanimon!"

I growled loudly, enough that I made sure Avaruusmon could hear it crystal clear. "There are things that I don't mind speaking of, but you have no right to bring him into this. I have my own score to settle with him without your help." I threw my arm out in front of me, holding it steady in my opposite hand. "Tempest Arrow!" A sharpened arrow shot from the plate covering my arm and flew toward the rather at ease Warrior of Space.

She disappeared in a flash that I, even in Digimon form, couldn't see, avoiding my attack without a problem. She appeared behind me and I spun around, expecting some sort of surprise attack, but receiving nothing of the sort. What is she doing? "You think brute force can defeat me? Calculations assist in battle, but only with proper strength. And power itself is useless alone, unless there is strategy put behind it. In your case, you lack both of these. The best combat is through a clear head, but you're too caught up in your past to even think of the battle you're in." She drew out the sword that was held in a sheave upon her back. "Hanbun Oblivion!" The double-edged blade was enveloped in black flames as she swung it and a serration of shining, solidified energy came at me with such speed and force, I had no time to even blink, let alone dodge or defend myself.

I doubled over backwards and felt the hard, weathered rocks. I trembled slightly before getting a hold of myself and grasping a large handful of the rocks in my hand, squeezing them and crushing them to fragments in my palm. I sat up, and spitting out the words, "Lucky shot", I jumped up to my feet and lunged recklessly towards her. She didn't let me touch her with a single finger and leapt up into the air using her powerfully-structured wings. I veered back and jumped into the air in pursuit. "Quit running, you coward! Face me like the Legendary Warrior you should be, subeta!" I fired another Tempest Arrow attack, of which was for all but a useful cause.

She stopped and turned around to face me, a glint shining in her blood-hued eyes. "I'm only doing as you would, little Warrior." I pondered her words, wondering just why she would do and say such, but kept my mouth as a thin flat line. "You never question when you do the very same, when you never fought those battles that brought you here. And those battles you avoided, have given you this one." She held out her arm and a sword identical to the first materialized in her hand. "I do believe you've heard the song Two Is Better Than One, am I correct? I think that applies very well here."

I glared daggers at her, making sure I was serious of which I was speaking to her about, making sure she would hurt. "Shut up! You ruin the words to such meaningful songs just by thinking of an implication! You don't deserve to know such emotional melodies! Strike of Thoth!" I swung my leg for a direct shot at her face. I wanted her to know pain, I wanted to get the point I was making across. Music was my way of expressing my deepest feelings, I wouldn't let her use them for her little games.

But bending backwards to a near-ninety-degree angle, she caught me off-guard with her swords becoming veiled in pure light and pure darkness. One sword was a bright shining blade, and the other consumed in a thick, downcast haze that swirled in deep shades of blue, violet, and black. "HikariYami Annihilation!" The opposite enmities merged to one and I was overpowered immediately, crashing back down onto the rocky shore below us.

And in an instant, felt like the force of the two Elements was ripping me into pieces, like I was being pulled apart limb from limb, like scalpels were cutting all of skin off of my body, little incisions covering my body and letting the blood flow like a river from the small, yet deep cuts. Each pain I felt was individual, I could feel each and every injury I had sustained, and that was worse than feeling it all together as one, consuming burn. I could sense and feel the sting of every bruise and gash on my being, so much so that I could count each and every one without even looking at my body if I desired so. This proved to me that she was able to give me more than just one casualty, she could keep throwing the punches at me and there was nothing I could do. She could knock me down every time I would get up and I couldn't even get a hit in before hitting the ground again to feel more pride-piercing agony.

I wasn't fully aware I was doing so until I physically heard the scream escape my lips. It pained my dry throat to do so, but I couldn't stop myself from screeching my lungs out. Uncontrollable tears were making their way from the corners of my eyes and streaming down, their cold touch freezing my cheeks. I found myself trembling in effort to somehow shake the pain that covered every part of my being. I heard Avaruusmon land and the sound of her feet stepping on the rocks. I cringed as I forced my eyelids to open and show me what lied around me.

The Warrior of Space stood directly over me with her swords in hand. She thrust them down so they pierced through the armor protecting my shoulders, mere centimeters away from hitting my skin, in place far enough that they went directly through my armor and pinned me to the ground, past the rocks into the soil below them. "You call yourself a Legendary Warrior. I think not, by the way you fight. I would have anticipated you getting at least a hit or two in before I destroy you. Here you can't even sit up, even if my swords weren't holding you in place. You're just a weak little girl, thinking she's worthwhile and trying to fight in a place she wasn't even supposed to be. You think it's destiny that you've come here, well, the truth is quite the opposite." I could see deviousness filling her eyes. "Your presence here and in your world is nothing more than a mistake, a little wrongdoing in Destiny's plans."

I managed to turn my head back and forth slightly. "N-no…" I squeaked out, my own voice hurting my lungs and throat from screaming, feeling like sandpaper. "Y-you're wr-wrong. I-I-I know I c-came here f-f-for a good r-reason." I took a deep breath that would've felt cooler if I was in hell and found a little more strength to continue with less difficulty, "To save this world and prove to myself…that I'm different than others sometimes make me think I am."

She then yanked the swords from out of my armor, sending one back into nothingness where it came and putting the other back into the sheave on her back. "Fine then prove your worth. Prove you're not the weak misdoing of Fate that I see you to be." She stepped back and was cacooned in light blue Data. "Avaruusmon Slide Evolution!" Her form was replaced by her Beast form, a wyvern breed of dragon type Digimon. Dark, shining scales covered her body and her symbol was emblazoned in silver upon her chest. Her head from her nostrils up was concealed by a dark helmet, translucent and tinted to make a visor over her eyes, and from it, two spikes protruded out. Spikes ran down the middle of her back and down to her tail, of which was tipped with a silver blade. Her wings were bat-like, although covered with a sleek armor crafted specifically for aerodynamics. "Paikkamon!"

I staggered to my feet and decided to try to even the odds. A Human Spirit was just no match for a Beast. "Gryphanimon Slide Evolution!" Even with the form of my Beast Spirit, I could feel the significant drainage of power with the action of changing Spirits. I tried to let the Beast instincts take hold in order to forget my pains, but even though it was now cooperating with me, I still had to remain in absolute control. I figured that maybe I'd help me keep my mind off of things. "Laikasmon!"

"You've tamed your Beast Spirit, but have you tamed the beast inside yourself? Show me right here and now!" Paikkamon hardly readied herself, just put on a slight guard. Her form towered over me, being the size easily of BurningGreymon, most likely taller, so it was easy to become overconfident. But I believed she had a right to be confident, more than just her size compared to mine. I could feel her strength emanating from her being, an aura radiating from her Beast enmity.

I cringed and almost doubled over, but caught myself and growled. "Fine. I'll prove to you just how much you underestimate me! You know nothing of I can do and nothing of the strength I possess through my Spirits!" I charged at her, teeth baring, my fury all but under control. "Shiorai Pionos!" I felt the force of the attack come over me as I thrust myself at the Beast of Space. But she maneuvered away from my path and took to the sky above me. I growled from deep down in my throat. "Talim Storm!" My vision changed color and I managed to encase Paikkamon in a twister of shining silver. But as she received the blows, I felt the hurt from them, like I was trapped inside the tornado with her, like she suddenly cast the attack back upon me, but I saw that it wasn't the case. She was still encased inside, I was still in control of the attack, for it was my own and I could do as I pleased with it.

Then she outspread her wings, destroying my cyclone with just the force that she put behind that movement. She seemed slightly battered, but she didn't seem to be in pain. Rather, I could see a bit of smugness shining in her eyes, like this was only making her game all the more fun. "Thus far, the only think you have proved to me that you are unbearably stubborn. Strength is something you have yet to show me; I'm beginning to doubt that any exists inside of you at all whatsoever. Just stupidity."

"I'll show you strength! Shiorai Pionos!" Enveloped in energy, I sprung up, using my wings to gain momentum and propelled myself at my enemy. I would hit her, I will do damage, I told myself repeatedly, concentrating hard on my current target. I just had to focus, I reminded myself, directing all of my weight at the Beast of Space so maybe I'd get a good direct hit in, despite the fact that she without a doubt had anticipated my attack.

She twisted her body around in a mid-air roll and maneuvered away, laughing at my pitiful attempt at doing proper damage. "Child, such techniques will keep you from victory. And even with strategy, you shall not prevail over me! Your blood shall be stained on the rocks below and your corpse will be food for the creatures of the waters." The symbol on her chest glowed a deep copper color. "Spacial Despair!" A beam of the same reddish-brown hue shot out from it, bending the air around it, changing the oxygen to a different, unfamiliar gas.

I veered back and narrowly avoided the attack, it nearly clipping my wings. I exhaled in slight relief of not being completely incinerated and breathed in the gas that was created in chemical reaction to the attack. My eyes dilated and grew wide and I started getting dizzy, the world around me beginning to spin without stop. I stayed in flight, motionless, trying to get it to stop or at least tone down. There was a loud buzzing in my head, almost like it was reverberating the buzzing of an insect. I squeezed my eyes shut, but that only made me feel nauseous, my stomach churning and doing summersaults inside of me. My head was throbbing, like someone was beating upon it from the inside.

"Make it stop! Please, Paikkamon! I'm begging you!" I screamed out, through gritted teeth, my actual human self inside the Beast holding my body tightly to myself, wishing and praying for the agony to cease or at least lessen to a slightly more bearable amount. My feeble human mind was begging to surrender, at least so it could rest and recover. I wanted to scream my heart out, just so I'd know I was truly alive and this wasn't hell and I was trapped in eternal damnation, I wanted to get out of this stupid place and back to the familiarity I know realized I didn't hate as much as I thought originally.

I wanted to go home.

Through it all, the chuckle that I heard emerge from her mouth could've been a loud cackle, I could barely hear it. "I don't see much reason why I should. You see, this is exactly what you do to others. You use violence as your answer; you give them that which you believe they deserve. And now you see just what you do to them, maybe not always as the physical pain of which you are receiving, but in the end it all adds up to such hurt. And you always go home with such contentment, in a way that is in society considered unbearably sick."

I didn't want to see her as the one that was right here, I denied that possibility that it could be true. I knew that what goes around, comes around and in my case, when someone causes pain, it comes back to them in the end. And sometimes, it didn't come on its own, so I decided to help that along. Because there were people I knew in life that never got the storm cloud over their head, they always received sunshine and happiness, never seeing how bad things could turn out to be. Karma? Possibly not, but I liked to believe what things you do come back to you, positive or negative. Although when it appeared to me that Fate got it mixed up, it only made me angry and to be honest, a bit jealous. I always wondered why it couldn't have been me, why was that metaphorical cloud always following me around more than anyone else?

"Don't give me that kuso," I scoffed, acid dripping off my tongue with the words. "You think I enjoy the life I live? I just want to show others that I'm not some uppity subeta that thinks she's better than everyone else. Everyone always thinks that's what I am, they always think that I'm some jerk that feels superior to everyone, and they're wrong! They don't realize how much better they have it than I do! They don't know the things about me—they don't know my past—that makes me the way I am!"

I forced my eyes open and that almost made me lose it. I swallowed hard and forced myself to look at Paikkamon. I noticed her dragon face slightly shaped to an evil grin, like she just knew that I was going to look at her and so she was preparing to show just how dominate she believed herself to be over me. "You lie to yourself, you persist and make yourself believe your own words, despite how wrong you know them to truly be. You can't even be true to yourself, so how can you be true to all those around you?" She tilted her head as if to get a better look of my trembling Beast Spirit, seemingly getting satisfaction in seeing my battered state that she and she alone had caused by barely any effort on her part. "How can you be sure of anything you say and do anymore? Maybe you're just repeatedly stabbing those you love in the back and you aren't even aware of it."

I narrowed my eyes to a glare, although the dilation making it slightly irritating, and the wind chilling my body where the injuries had taken their place. "I love no one…" I whispered to the sky, tilting my head up to the dismal clouds and grey sky. They were portraying my emotions perfectly, clouded over by the desolations of this world and my home world, making everything seem stormy and absolutely helpless and my future totally bleak. "They love all but my own soul, going on like all things are seen, but I am invisible. They walk right through me, right over me. It's like they don't even know that I exist…"

The Beast of Space's voice sounded more human than it ever had before, more than her Human Spirit of Avaruusmon ever had. "If only you could convince yourself of those words, then maybe you'll find yourself alone, just how you always envision yourself to be day after day." She tossed her wyvern-like head away from me, her voice turning to a small whisper. "No one to find you and rescue you, to take you and hold you in their arms and comfort you, just like Koichi always had…"

I threw my head toward her, finding room in my thoughts to focus upon her words. "If you bring Nii-san into this, I swear I will tear you limb from limb," I snapped, wishing I had something to crush under my paw right then just to prove my point. I didn't care about how sick I felt, or how much my wounds hurt, or even any of her previous words that had struck me and stayed with me in my head. I just wanted her dead, her Data not scanned, completely destroyed.

"Despite how much you know that loss is inevitable, you still make threats. This is the part of you that is completely demeaning and totally misguided. It's almost as though one half of your mind just doesn't understand the other. This is why you need my Lord Cherubimon to help you, so you can understand yourself as well as I do, so you are not faced with these complications any longer. It is obvious that you are confused about your own identity, your worth, and your meaning in this life, and my master can help you better comprehend all of these things so that you can harness your own strength the way intended." She turned her head away from me so that I couldn't see her eyes to see whether she was being at least a little honest. I doubted it because she was my sworn enemy, but that same little voice was squeaking out 'Hear her out, maybe she is right after all. It can't hurt to see…'

"I know your words to all be crap. Do you really expect me to believe them? I make my own rules and find guidance inside them, I have no room for your dear master's tutoring. I don't want your help or his. I'll deal with my own problems on my own." My human self inside the Digimon crossed her arms and scowled as my Beast merely turned its head in defiance. "Now are you going to fight me or just lecture me about things I should be doing, according to all those I've been risking my existence as to defeat?"

She put on that dragon, devious smirk back on her face. "Aren't we overly eager to perish? As you wish, little Warrior, I will put your vow to the test. Just see if you can tear me limb from limb to defend Koichi's honor, if he's even worth it, that is…" She closed her eyes and hung her head upward. "Dimensional Apparition!" She glowed a soft blue, a mist showering around her form and copies of her being appeared at her sides, increasing my opponent count to three from the original one. And I saw that the two new arrivals didn't possess the damage the original Paikkamon held on her enmity. "Just try and destroy me. If you can see through this illusion."

I staggered back slightly, taken by surprise as her latest ability of which was probably about to kick a hell lot of kuso out of me. "Crap…" I felt panic begin to rise out of my chest and make its way up my throat, in such a way that I had my heart in my mouth and yet there was still room to be horribly afraid of what was to come. This was truly the first time in the battle that I begin to believe that I wasn't by all nonexistent chances going to win. No, more than not going to win, never come out alive.

"And so we come to this. Confess anything you have left." I knew the voice came from the true Paikkamon, but since I wasn't necessarily paying close attention, I couldn't tell exactly which one it was. It almost appeared that they all spoke, but I knew that to be false, because there was only one voice. But really, what was the point? I was going to die anyway, so there really wasn't much reason for my noting of the unimportant things that I notice. Because soon, it all wouldn't matter, it would never matter. I wouldn't come out alive here, pull a few strings and then just manage to get away with not many more injuries that I held at that moment, that just couldn't happen.

"Fine…" I decided to do as she said, even though there wasn't really anything I had to get off my chest, like everyone does in the movies. When they're at their last minutes and say goodbye and sorry to all those loved ones, I just didn't have any of that. I didn't know what I could say, what I wanted to say, or even how to get words out of my lips to form proper sentences. If there were actually things that I could say that made any kind of difference. "Although…I don't see why you need extra assistance to remove me."

Two of the three Paikkamon flew to the other sides of me, so I was surrounded at all sides. The real one replied, "When the odds are inevitably at your favor, it makes the game all the more enjoyable. You should know that more than anyone. Although you have found the entertainment in having the odds against you; it provides a sweet challenge. You used to pick fights just to feel that rush, just so you can have the satisfaction of a game of wits and power. That was you, was it not?" They all cocked their head to the side at the words.

I decided to use the chance to ask her some questions. I never got to do such ever before, and now would've been a good time to see just what she was, just why she plays this most dangerous game. "Tell me. How do you know so much about me, down to my own feelings and emotions? Can you get inside my head, just to try to find something to use against me just as you are now?" I kept my eyes circulating between the three around me, just barely adjusting my position so I could see out of the corners of my eyes and get a pretty good view of everything everywhere but directly behind me. "What other things can you do that you have yet to show me?"

"Why do you assume that I had to get inside your mind to know these things? You are very easy to read, and as I've said before, we really aren't that different." She ignored my second question, for what reason, I wasn't sure. Maybe because she didn't want me to know the answer, or possibly because she just didn't find much reason to enlighten me in the topic. But her level of importance and unimportance was completely unique, almost opposite, from mine.

I always found mystery in that single phrase that I've heard come from more than just her. There isn't much difference between you and the Warrior of Space, not as much as you think. "But what makes us that way?" I countered quickly, not sure who to glare at to answer the question, seeing all of them with the same, blank expression remaining on all of their faces. "I've heard it time and time again, but no one ever gave me a flat answer why."

"You have to look farther inside yourself, then you'll see exactly how." That solved nothing of which I was looking for. No one ever gave me light on that matter, always saying the same things. It was like it always was when there were things I wanted to know that according to my superiors that I just didn't need to know. But this concerned me, so I felt that I had to know, I just didn't want to, it was imperative that I did, and I wasn't going to give in until I got the answers that I craved.

"Just tell me straight, subeta! Before I make you!" I growled loudly, letting my impatience get the best of me. I wanted to see her in pain, a pain that I was causing, and her breath hastening as she struggles to tell me everything that I desired to know. "What is our similarity? What makes you seem so connected to the depths of my mind that you know things that I haven't even told anyone before, and are able to mention them right on the fly like you weren't told them, you just know? Tell me what you are to me."

They all tossed their heads to the side, their helmets shining, despite the dark sky. "Possibly. If you survive this." They were all enveloped with a deep, blood-red light, surrounding them like a large orb that shrouded them so that only their silhouettes were visible. "Neutron Tri-Burst!"

I thought quickly and let my body drop down. I hit the water and went under, but I still felt the impact from the explosion the attack created. I felt the water heat up in temperature, and the current and waves were stirred up. I struggled to hold my breath, being whipped around helplessly in the tide. I panicked and knew I had to get out, so I surfaced and crawled onto the shore, the rocks from the attack burning on my skin. But I couldn't hold my Spirit Evolution any longer and De-Digivolved. I collapsed on my stomach, coughing out blood and trembling uncontrollably. I was completely at loss for energy to move out from the open space and simply laid there.

Paikkamon's doubles faded and she landed on the shore a few yards from me. She changed back to her Human Spirit and sauntered over, staring down at me like I was the most pathetic thing that she had ever seen, which I had a pretty good chance of being. She towered over me and gazing down at my body, began with an expressionless tone, "It doesn't surprise me you went for the water, although it drained your Beast's energy to do so. You left it all up to Fate to save you, and all you managed to do was get lucky. That's utterly pathetic."

I managed to bend my arm around and wipe the blood off of my face, taking my time in the notion. "It takes…more…to knock…me down…for good…" I spat with hardly any strength to do so remaining left inside of me. I hadn't even realized I was this irrevocably mulish. If she was going to keep taking me down like this, even though I knew that wasn't going to take that long to take me down for good, I was going to be stupid enough to persist. I almost couldn't control myself when it came to this sort of situation. It was like demanding a rematch at every lost card game, the time spent afterwards thinking about everything had gone wrong and thinking about new strategies for the next game, so there would be no chance at loss.

"Oh, I seriously doubt that. You can't even bring yourself up, let alone fight. Your foolishness will bring you nowhere except to your sweet doom. At least then, you'll get your release from your current condition." She shook her head like an ashamed parent over a misbehaving child. "But this is expected, I knew to find this much in you. How stubborn you are, I've evolved from such a thing. And how thoughtless you are, I can't find meaning behind the notions."

As soon as she mentioned my weakness of the inability to pick myself up, I tried to do so. "You never…explained…any of this… please…" I forced my hands under me and pushed myself up a few inches in order to bring myself up on my toes to a low crouch, holding my balance in place by holding my hands hard against the ground to support my weight, yet I still continued to shake. "Have you…no conscience? Do none…of Cher-Cherubimon's…followers?"

"I have no regrets, so really what is the true point of possessing a conscience? After all, it is designed to remind you when you've done wrong, and I do not do wrong." Her voice was completely solemn, like she was sure on this fact, which was completely irrational thinking to believe so. "Just like you, or so you think so." I decided to keep my trap shut instead of losing my cool like my head wanted me to do, and let her continue without making a sound. "You think everyone else is to blame and they don't deserve proper treatment until you receive proof of their repentance. You hold many grudges on those who don't know their wrongdoings, and you refuse to speak to them of the matter, despite if the long-awaited apology is at the very tip of their tongue. It's quite selfish and egotistical actually, how you never consider the fact that you could quite possibly be the one at fault."

"You're wrong," I said flatly, my mind not completely on my side with my words. I still had to think it over; I hadn't even begun to comprehend the words she was speaking. "I…didn't want…this. Why do you think…all this to be true?" I began to ponder her words. They had sounded nothing remotely like me in my ears, I couldn't see why she thought this was all me here, the one she was talking about. There were others that came to my mind when thinking about all she said.

I expected some sort of short answer, but more came from her lips than I really assumed would. "Because it is. You deny yourself the blame because you think you've already caused too much already, and no one else is every at fault. In truth, you never got past the biggest mistake you've ever made. It always dwells with you and you eventually forced yourself to forget it all. Now you're just a ticking time bomb set up with no motives, no real reason behind the way you act. And now, because of my Lord Cherubimon, you are receiving these intentions back, slowly but enough to realize just what you've done." She got a bit of pleasure in her eyes at this moment. "It makes it all better with your Element. Time…it fits with your name, Future. Really, it's quite ironic, when really it's the past that you focus upon. Maybe your name should have been Kako, it's much more fitting." She paused for me to take it in. "It was Lord Cherubimon that made sure you found your Spirit, knowing that AncientZeitmon had the Memory Aura ability. It was merely a roll of the dice to determine whether you'd inherit it. And it has turned out to be a good gamble, as we can now witness at this very moment."

I shook my head, my eyes remaining down below me as I measured my breathing by how quickly I could get air inhaled and exhaled. "No…It was Seraphimon…that held my Spirit…He knew me…when he saw me…" None of what she says is true, why does she keep persisting on such things? She's just trying to make me fall away from everything I know to be right, all those against me are the same. They always try to see to it that I can't believe in myself to be right, everything I do is always incorrect. They always tell me I'm a stupid kid that just brings foolish means into everything, always thinking so irrationally in ways that will only benefit me and me alone. When will they realize that is just not me?

She twisted her hand around as if the gesture would say by itself 'this is how it is…'. "He was encased in crystal, as you should remember. There is no possible way that he would have known who you are." The shimmer in her eyes grew at her next words. "In fact, that same day, the day you received that letter from the so-called Seraphimon, of which was in truth placed by those Legendary Warriors that had attacked while in the Celestial Digimon's castle, that was the day that I arose to be as I am before you."

I cocked my head to one side to exhibit my outmost mystification. I had always thought Avaruusmon had been the one to save me from my own bad luck in falling down chasms, but that particular event took place before we got to Seraphimon's castle, back on the day Koji got his Beast Spirit. Then if the Warrior of Space hadn't taken life yet at that point, then who was it? As I remembered, the Digimon fit her description to a T. "But…you saved me…back then…?" I just couldn't figure it out; I had thought for sure it was her, I was totally certain of that matter. If it wasn't her, could there be someone else out there that I should be on my guard about? Or do I have some sort of Digimon guardian angel?

"That was the time before I had a consciousness. Lord Cherubimon used my body as a pawn, a little puppet to do his own personal bidding. The exact matters, I know not of, for he only provided me with limited enlightenment." She seemed to hardly give a single care that the things that happened before her true existence were unknown to her. "Nevertheless, things of that past mean nothing to me, only this existence that I possess now. For I have my own memories, those of which I see like they are my own, despite the truth that dwells in such. They belong to me, but in reality, that is only half true."

"What do you mean?" She was presenting more questions than were being answered. I wished she would just say something straight for once, something that I could actually believe to be true, something that would actually help me understand everything that I was trying to take in. She was speaking in puzzles and riddles, trying to hide the words' denotation, and I hated that she was using them in order to tell me everything I wanted to know, because it was another matter to interpret them so I could take in the true meaning.

Her gaze grew darker, and her voice cold and emotionless. "They also belong to you…Because you see…" She was encased in an orb of blue Fractal Code and a new form appeared, although not even a trace of Digimon. She was _human_. "I'm you."

As I looked upon her form, I saw immediately that she looked _exactly _like me. But I noticed her eyes were a duller purple than mine, more of a lavender than the violet color my eyes held. Her deceitful smirk sent a chill down my spine; I had no idea that I could be so...misguided and evil. Just seeing that expression on a face that was in nearly every way my own made me feel more at fault for things Cherubimon's followers had done than ever before. _I am my own worst enemy…_ "But…how do you…even exist?" Like before, I found reason to be more confused than able to make sense of all of this. Like I had inquired, I had not a single hint as to how she came to form. She was me, but a whole other being. Logically, that shouldn't have been even possible.

She put a hand in her pocket, a habit that I always had. "Like I previously stated, I came to form that day you arrived at the Forest Terminal. Do you not remember what happened that day before you reached the castle? You gave your so-called friends quite the scare…" She let the word 'friends' slip off her tongue like a cussing word, as if it held a meaning that I hated. But she knew how I felt about words with such sentiment; after all, she must have felt that way too.

I glanced over to the waterfall as she directed me through the pointing of her index finger. I instantly remembered the second I laid my eyes on the scene._ I was on the ground, screaming in pain, clutching my hands up to my head. I was begging for it to stop, and all the other Legendary Warriors could do was stand there and watch. They didn't know what was wrong, why I was brought into sudden agony, and there was absolutely nothing they could do. Emotions, memories, images and sounds, they were all being ripped from me, torn out of my mind like tearing a curtain down the middle. Tears were driven from my eyes as I held myself close, trying to get everything to stop hurting me. Through all the pictures I saw, I saw a silhouette, going away from me. He didn't pay attention to anything, just kept his head forward and eyes on the path ahead. I couldn't place the form, and after a few moments, he was gone._

"Lord Cherubimon saw that your anger towards the other Warriors was fitting for the last remaining Element. You couldn't control yourself when thrown off the edge and would do anything to come out on top, the ultimate persona for someone to serve under him. He came to you earlier in the TV Forest, trying to reason with you under proper circumstances. Seeing that as a loss, he decided to move to more drastic measures, being no cost to him either way." My double crossed her arms, her face turning stone and her lips a flat line. "And so he put his plan into action, as you witnessed. He retrieved your feelings and memories, and complied them to create me."

I gritted my teeth, clenching my fists under me, yet not moving in such a way that would disrupt my overall balance. "Don't act so proud, you're just a separated figment of me. Therefore I know all your weaknesses, all your strengths, everything. All that you know, I know." Then, I realized, I actually didn't. She knew much more than me when it came to things of the Digital World, things she learned after she wasn't a part of me, thus I was at a serious disadvantage at that point.

"That is where you are wrong. I have developed past your foolish ways into a much more mature stature. I think rationally, and you only think in ways that benefit yourself. I have surpassed the level of which you only can imagine you are at." She sent me a dominating look, that looked a lot more reasoned on her face than mine. She knew that she was correct in all of her words, and she knew that I knew it too. And I quickly figured that she was going to use that to her advantage.

I suddenly got an idea, thinking back on our battle that we fought. _She never let me touch her…_ "And yet, you still play scared." I let a smirk play onto my face as I began to attempt to get to my feet, my double saying nothing under the matter this time. "You must think that you're just so much better than the one who used to be one with you, just because you're fighting on what you see as the better side, so much that you won't even let me lay a single finger on you." I reached my feet and made my way towards her. "What's the matter, afraid that if I touch you, you'll turn back into someone just like who you used to be?" It was my turn to feel a little bit of pride here, recalling her exact words when talking to Duskmon.

She snarled at me an inhuman growl that I couldn't remember ever making. "It would not be me to make such a transition. I have evolved far too much for your mind to revert mine. In fact, it would be just the opposite. Your mind is too weak to overcome such an obstacle—" I cut her off, something I hardly would have dared if I hadn't known her true identity, and not have known her greatest weakness.___The enemy of my enemy is my friend. The enemy of myself is the very same as thyself… _

"I recall your words, 'And the light of day shall rise not again on shadowed hearts'. You were speaking of this very moment, you predicted this very thing. But you thought of the wrong outcome, 'And when such will occur, all will fall. None will threaten me at such an advantage'. Your foreshadowing underestimated me, thinking it was an instant victory and I wouldn't fight back. But people always say I have had a tendency to be stubbornly persistent. But you made that prediction before this battle, so despite being me, you probably hadn't seen the whole side of perseverance I have until we got here. Pity, since now you just might have to do your calculations all over again." I put a voice on that faked my sympathy and went on, "Such a shame…" I sighed as if it was really a big deal.

I reached my hand out and touched her, the words she said when speaking to Duskmon coming to motion at that very instant.___For all will be consumed and we will become one…_


	28. Chapter 26

**Holy crap! I cannot believe how quickly I got this chapter done! It was probably the chapter I was looking forward to writing the most in the Sakkakumon chapters. I just sat down and wrote it all in a couple days, bound determined to finish it before school started, of which the first day is Monday the 19th, so updates will slow considerably, namely because of cross country.**

**Anyway, I really hate being so mean to Takuya in these next couple of chapters, I'm so angry at myself for everything I'm doing to the poor guy, although you can see just how much he matured from his experience as a Digimon back in episode 22. Gomen, Taku!**

**Moving on, I've been getting many reviews from readers saying to take down the angstiness (is that even a real word?) and don't worry, you guys will only have to bear with it for a little longer. Over the next few chapters, Mirai gets what you can call "enlightenment", and so as a result, Mirai gets a heck of a lot nicer. Not little angel nice, but at a bearable level.**

**Oh yes, and I apologize for getting into physics when explaining the relationship between space and time (I got a bit carried away there...). So if anyone wants it explained, even though I tried to put as simply as I could in the chapter, feel free to PM me...or go to Google.**

**There were many songs that inspired me for parts of this chapter. For part of it with the evil Mirai and Takuya, the part was inspired by the official music video of Misery by Maroon 5. Awesome song, by the way.**

**And the ending was inspired by two rather depressing songs. The first one is I Still Miss You by Hawk Nelson and the other is Lucy by Skillet. They're both quite sad and I'd seriously recommend them if you like Christian rock. Also, I Still Miss You is on a Kouizumi tribute that I saw on YouTube and it was very well made, most likely with Sony Vegas Pro (does everyone but me have that program?)**

**Getting off of that, here is chapter 26!**

* * *

Chapter 26

—Third Person Narration—

Takuya wandered his way throughout the corridors of which he only in a few short minutes learned to be the Beast Spirit of Steel, Sakkakumon. The idea of actually being inside some sort of living creature, a different form of that metalhead, Mercurymon making it no more bearable, made his stomach flip around a little, but the event of the call from Zoe via D-Tector brought him back into a faith that maybe there were things that will help them that they just aren't sure how to unlock yet. It was in his nature to think of the positives, so it was only normal to think that there was a way out.

He cringed slightly as he watched his foot sink slightly down in the floor when stepping down. He could bear some things that would make others hurl at the sight, but this really didn't appeal to him, knowing that he was inside something living and breathing. Now he knew how Jonah felt when he got swallowed by the whale. He averted his gaze back up to the path ahead of him, recalling Zoe's words, "_Koji and Mirai are still in there; you have to help them. We tried to get back in, but it seems that once you're out, there's no way to get back in…_". He was too late in helping Koji, Duskmon had gotten to him first, and despite how much he hated leaving a friend behind, he had to move on and try to help Mirai. He knew for certain that the bigheaded Warrior of Time wouldn't be too keen on his arrival in order to assist her, but it was about time she got over herself and learned to trust him.

The eyeball that acted as a portal to one of the many dimensions came into his sight quickly, his pace in a full sprint. He took a final breath and hoped it wasn't too late, that everything will turn out all right, just for everything that could possibly go wrong in these next moments. Decreasing his speed only slightly, the possibility that physics could go into effect and he'd hit it like a wall clicking in his head, he went into the portal, its surface turning into a reddish static, and making his last thoughts, _Don't go and do anything stupid now, Takuya…_

He met instantly the scenery of a rocky shoreline and a waterfall. The looks of the sky bothered him, how abnormal it appeared just didn't sit right with him. But neither did the aura of the rest of the area. Being a host to a Digimon, he could sense a negative environment that only spoke chilling words to him and gave him a horrible feeling of being trapped in a place where angels feared to tread. That area was tainted by evil, foul emotions, those that walked with Cherubimon.

He instantly saw Mirai standing a little ways off, gazing intently off into the distance like there was actually something there besides just emptiness. Her face was void of emotion, so it was almost as if she was staring at nothing at all, like her sight didn't even follow through her eyes. Takuya didn't completely consider what could be happening, nothing more than Mirai thinking really hard about something, thus overall zoning out. Despite the feelings that the area gave him, there seemed to be nothing threatening around. "Mirai! Hey, are you all right?" he called out, making his way over to his fellow Warrior, suspecting nothing of which awaited him.

Zoe's voice again emerged from his D-Tector, sounding worried of what he might do. "Be careful, Takuya, that might not be the real Mirai!" she warned as he got a mere few feet from the Warrior of Time, who still at this moment in time made absolutely no effort as to giving as sign that showed she knew that he was even there. "Apparently, Cherubimon made an evil copy of her. When they touched, they became one, but at this point, we have no idea who's in control!"

The Warrior of Flame looked down at the symbol of Wind displayed on his D-Tector with a disbelieving expression as if it was Zoe's own, real face. "What? This has to be the real Mirai, Zoe, she's just gotta be!" The voice of reason in his head told him so; it told him that the person he knew was there. Where? He just didn't know. He wasn't used to her in any other way than herself, so the thought of maybe it _wasn't_ her never completely coming into effect and dawning on him.

He reached out his hand, and suddenly, Mirai spun around and grasped his wrist like a vice. "You should listen to your _friends_ more often," she hissed with poison in her voice, a glint of slight amusement sparkling (now isn't a very good time for an Edward Cullen rip, is it?) in her clouded, lavender eyes. A small grin of deceitfulness was placed upon her lips as she spoke those words, words that in such a tone didn't seem to hold any amount mercy or compassion. It was cold; cold and in no way holding any signs of true life. "Maybe then you would build trust." She twisted his arm back, far in a direction it wasn't intended to go, and he cried out, dropping his D-Tector. "You might as well get used to the feeling of agony. Before I'm through, you'll be well-acquainted with it."

Takuya tried to get a good look at her face, trying to find some sort of evidence that this all just might be some sort of joke played on him to psyche him out, but finding none. "Mirai, I don't want to fight you, I never did. Please, I know you can stop this before it even begins." He brought his other hand around and tried to pry her hand off of his wrist, but with no avail. It appeared that she was bound determined to keep him exactly where she wanted him.

She seemed rather pleased that he was begging her, especially quenching that thirst for the upper hand that she'd been looking for. "If only we had thought of those words years ago, maybe you wouldn't be in this current position." She threw her arm around and flipped him on his back, displaying inhuman strength, a gift from Cherubimon to his creation. "But I guess that is your loss."

Takuya picked himself up into a sitting position, grunting and recollecting himself. "Stop twisting reality. This isn't then, this is now. I know even though you're not the real Mirai that you're still angry with what happened three years ago, but you and her both have to know it's not my fault!"

Mirai reached down and lifted him up with the collar of his shirt, holding him close enough that he could feel her breath on his face and look into her shrouded, mauve eyes to see just how many tainted emotions they truly held. Though her face said so, her tone didn't reveal rage at all whatsoever. Moreover, it was the kind of tone that showed she was getting ready for something enjoyable. "It's not my fault…" she repeated to herself, "I think I've heard that too many times before. My old, inferior self sang about all of that, all the things you've tried to say, but she just wouldn't hear." At that moment, as if through a loudspeaker, the original Mirai's voice began, singing things she had in the past:

"_In the heat of the fight, I walked away. Ignoring words that you were saying, trying to make me stay. I said, "This time I had enough." And you've called a hundred times, but I'm not picking up. 'Cause I'm so mad, I might tell you that it's over. But if you look a little closer…_

_I said "Leave", but all I really want is you to stand outside my window throwing pebbles, screaming "I'm in love with you", wait there in the pouring rain, come back for more. And don't you leave because I know all I need is on the other side of the door._

_Me and my stupid pride are sitting here alone. Going through the photographs, staring at the phone. I keep going back over things we both said. And I remember the slamming door and all the things that I misread. So babe, if you know everything, then tell me why you couldn't see. When I left, I wanted you to chase after me."_

Takuya matched her stare eye to eye, wanting to hurt this counterfeit of the Warrior of Time, but his conscience telling him that he shouldn't and there was no way he could. "Stop using her voice!" he snapped, remembering her love for music. She would always have him sing along with her to the radio, and she'd always say he sucked, but the look she always had on her face said it just didn't matter to her. He never was one for singing before then, before he met Mirai. It was always their thing.

She just laughed, a loud cackle that held no resemblance to the one she was originated off of. It was all her own. "Don't like it? You always had loved her singing in the past, so what makes this any different? Or are you coming to realize just what you did, exactly whose soul you crushed into millions of shards?" The questioned came out of her voice as if they were rhetorical, but the context said just the opposite. All of her actions and words were defying each other.

He had no words to reply to that; she was twisting all of his words against him into lies. There was no apparent way to get any truth into this. He knew his objective, that was the most obvious thing: Try to make the real Mirai come to her senses and break free from this imposter's control. But the path to get to the goal wasn't so easy to figure out. His last resort was to actually fight her and maybe scan the evil portion's Data, but that posed the question if it was going to be the only part to be scanned. That was the part that got him thinking; what if he accidentally killed her while trying to freeing her?

"_I said "Leave", but all I really want is you to stand outside my window throwing pebbles, screaming "I'm in love with you", wait there in the pouring rain, come back for more. And don't you leave because I know all I need is on the other side of the door._

_And I'll scream out the window, I can't even look at you. I don't need you, but I do, I do, I do. I say, "There's nothing you can say to make this right, I mean it, I mean it." What I mean is…_

_I said "Leave", but all I really want is you to stand outside my window throwing pebbles, screaming "I'm in love with you", wait there in the pouring rain, come back for more. And don't you leave because I know all I need is on the other side of the door._

_With your face and the beautiful eyes and the conversation with the little white lies and the faded picture of a beautiful night. You carry me from your car to the stairs. And I broke down crying, is she worth this mess? After everything and that little black dress, after everything I must confess, I need you…"_

"You really have no idea how your little conspiracy with _Karin_—" She spat the name out like she was trying to inflict damage on the blonde with just the tone of her voice. "—affected my inferior self's condition. You do remember her brother, do you not? He made nothing better for her to accept that you just didn't care as much as you lead her on to believe. She thought everyone was leaving her to suffer, and day after day, it just became something that crushed her down more and more."

Takuya grasped the fist that was enclosed on his shirt and pulled it free so there was a small, invisible barrier between them. "Neither one of you realize just how hard I tried to get my apologies across. I wanted Mirai to know just how sorry I was and that I never meant for anything to happen between me and Karin. I hadn't had any word in what happened that day, and if I did, none of it would've happened."

The imposter cocked her head to one side, as if to take in the information and process it, but nonetheless, seemed to expect such words to come from his lips. "Do you know how many times those words have been said by those who just didn't want a bad rep?" A small grin played onto her face. "Answer me here, _Taky_, you can tell me anything. I won't tell. Why did you go for Karin? Was it because of her looks, a blonde with a tight, little body? Or was it because you knew she played dirty?"

She caught the Warrior of Flame off-guard by taking a half-step over to him so she was incredibly close to him, and brought him into a nip kiss, biting on his lower lip. In the middle of this, she gave him a hard blow to the stomach. As he hunched over slightly while trying to ride off the pain, she said, finishing her statement she was in the middle of before she kissed him, "Well, just because the Mirai you knew never did anything to make the sparks fly like fireworks, doesn't mean I'm the same way."

Looking up at her from his bent over position, Takuya glared. "I don't care what claims you make of being superior to Mirai. You're a corrupted copy—nothing compared to whom you were designed. Every copy has its flaws and yours are extremely evident." He poised himself back to an upright position, awaiting some sort of response. With a slightly adjustment of his gaze, he saw his D-Tector lying on the ground a few feet away. A good distraction, he figured, would make the D-Tector as good as his.

She shook her head, a look on her face that said 'you just don't get it'. "Through the work of Lord Cherubimon, it has become quite the opposite. I am developed far beyond my old self's maturity and grasp on reality. Much more, I am far greater than any human Mirai has come to meet in all of the collections of her memories. I never understood why she and Karin both struggled to be with such a pathetic human like you." She circled around him, looking at him from every angle. "I see nothing special."

Again, a song began, using voices from those in the past. This time, Karin joined with Mirai.

**Karin: **_"You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset. She's going off about something that you said. 'Cause she doesn't get your humor like I do…"_

**Mirai: **_"I'm in the room, it's a typical Tuesday night. I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like. She'll never know your story like I do…_

"_But she wears short skirts, I wear t-shirts. She's cheer captain, and I'm on the bleachers."_

**Karin: **_"Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find that what you've been looking for has been here the whole time!"_

**Both:**_ "If you could see that I'm the one who understands you, been here all along, so why can't you see you belong with me, you belong with me."_

**Mirai: **_"Walking the streets with you and your worn-out jeans. I can't help thinking this is how it ought to be. Laughing on a park bench, thinking to myself, 'Hey, isn't this easy?'"_

**Karin:**_ "And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town. Haven't seen it in a while since she brought you down. You say you're fine, but I know you better than that. Hey, what you doing with a girl like that?"_

**Mirai**_**:**__ "She wears high heels, I wear sneakers. She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers."_

**Karin:**_"Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find that what you've been looking for has been here the whole time!_

"_If you could see that I'm the one who understands you. Been here all along, so why can't you see you belong with me? Standing by and waiting at your backdoor, all this time how you could you not know, baby, you belong with me? You belong with me."_

**Mirai:**_ "Oh, I remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night. I'm the one that makes you laugh when you know you're about to cry. And I know your favorite song and you tell me about your dreams. Think I know where you belong, think I know it's with me."_

**Both: **_"Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you. Been here all along, so why can't you see you belong with me?"_

**Karin: **_"Have you ever thought…"_

**Mirai: **_"Just maybe…"_

**Both:** _"You belong with me…?"_

They let the song be sung in silence, the evil Mirai taking time to allow Takuya to take it all in so that maybe he would just break down and shatter. After they had finished the last line, she smiled and began, "As you can see, your existence only causes the ones you claim you care about pain. If only you had let Mirai live her life, none of this would have happened." Turning and lifting her hand to point to the waterfall, once again, a memory began to form in the mist, Mirai singing yet another song within it.

_Mirai ran up the mezzanine step, the railing sliding under her hand as she advanced. Voices on the mezzanine could be heard and a look of slight worry flashed on her face. She went to a complete stop at the last step as soon as she saw them. Karin had her hands on Takuya's shoulders and his back was up against the wall. He was the first one to look and lock gazes with her, though Karin only had an instant's delay. He pushed her away from him, and Mirai didn't even bother taking a look at his stunned face._

—An empty room can be so deafening, the silence makes you wanna scream, it drives you crazy. I chased away the shadows of your name and burned the picture in a frame, but it couldn't save me…—

_Karin, on the other hand, looked severely pleased with the look she had caused to rise on Mirai's face, the one that allowed hatred to shine through. It was obvious to see just what pleasure she got from seeing someone being so pissed off at her. _

_Takuya tried to reason with Mirai, making certain the truth was told instantly, so no mistakes were made. "Mirai, I—" But she cut him off, not even appearing like she wanted to hear what he had to say, what excuse he had for this._

—How could we quit something we never even tried? Well, you still can't tell me why…—

"_I don't want to hear it! Whatever dumb excuse you have, it won't make me forgive you!" She glared shining knives at him while taking a few steps closer, locking eyes. Her face was written with hints of on-coming tears, and it was easy to see that she tried to make the anger cover it, so she didn't lose it right then and there when she had a point to prove. _

_Karin knew of the damage she was going to cause with her next words, it was able to be picked up on her expression. She appeared to have enjoyed that moment, the moment that made something she craved come to life just like she always had wanted. "You're not wanted here, I hope you can see that. You don't belong anywhere. People like you, they just don't live up to that standard. You go around just looking from pity from anyone—" _

—We built it up to watch it fall, like we meant nothing at all. I gave and gave the best of me, but couldn't give you what you need. You walked away, stole my life just to find what you're looking for. But no matter how I try, I can't hate you anymore. I can't hate you anymore…—

_She didn't get to finish her last statement. Mirai gave her a hard blow to the face, the shattering of bones in her nose able to be heard. Blood oozed its way out of her nostrils as Mirai wiped the blood on her knuckles on her jeans, scoffing, her voice lacking all feeling and emotion, "Let's see if your plastic surgeon can fix that one…And maybe afterwards, your new boyfriend can kiss it so it can get all better." Before departing, she averted her gaze and glared at Takuya, her thoughts echoing in her eyes, her thoughts of hatred and betrayal._

—You're not the person you used to be, the one I want who wanted me. And that's a shame, but there's only so many tears you can cry before it drains the light right from your eyes. And I can't go on that way. So I'm letting go of everything we were. It doesn't mean it doesn't hurt…—

_She began down the stairs and when hitting the floor, took off running recklessly. She bit her lip as she maneuvered around wandering students, not connecting eyes with anyone at any second, everything just all a blur. She collided with other students and merely kept running, not bothering with apologies or to even slow down. She brushed by as if trying to block the whole world out of her eyes and mind, and burst through the school doors, running down the stone stairs and down the sidewalk._

—We built it up to watch it fall, like we meant nothing at all. I gave and gave the best of me, but couldn't give you what you need. You walked away, stole my life just to find what you're looking for. But no matter how I try, I can't hate you anymore…—

_She let tears mix with beads of salty sweat on her face, allowing only few tears to escape and blur her vision. She went into a crosswalk and darted across, only to freeze when she saw a car coming towards her. She instantly froze and held her arms in front of her head, as if that would somehow lessen the impact. The car squealed to a stop, just feet away from striking her directly. Brushing off that near-miss, she kept running as if it had never even fazed her._

—Sometimes you hold so tight it slips right through your hands. Will I ever understand?—

_Finally, she came to rest at the shore of the park lake, breaking down on the park bench on which she spent so many days, watching the sun rise and set over the calm waters. She buried her face in her hands and rocked herself slowly, trying to ease her own pain. Tears streamed through the cracks between her fingers and down her hands and arms. But through it, she didn't allow herself to make a single sound, sobbing in the sounds of normality, like she was trying not to draw attention to herself in fear it would disrupt the regularity that encircled Shibuya day after day._

—We built it up to watch it fall, like we meant nothing at all. I gave and gave the best of me, but couldn't give you what you need. You walked away, stole my life just to find what you're looking for. But no matter how I try, I can't hate you anymore. I can't hate you anymore…—

_A few minutes passing, she peeked through the gaps in between her fingers with now bloodshot eyes. She lifted herself off the bench and bent over, picking up a pebble and throwing it into the water as far as she could manage. Seemingly enlightened by watching the rock disappear into the water and watching the ripples flow in rings from their epicenter, she grabbed a few more and starting chucking them all one by one. "Stupid hair! Stupid clothes! Stupid personality! Stupid goggles!" Throwing the largest one she held in her hand with the most force, sweat making her bangs stick to her face, she screamed as if anyone was actually listening, "I hate you, Takuya Kanbara!"_

* * *

—Mirai's POV—

I found myself greeted by absolute darkness. It had an unfamiliar feeling to it; however, not holding the cold that darkness was always accompanied with, more of an emptiness that wasn't physically able to hold heat or even the absence of it. Thinking back, I couldn't really recall how I got here or even how long I was there. I remembered my corrupted double and I found her weakness was to take her down from the inside, but after that I drew a complete blank. I hadn't seen my double at all after connecting with her, but the thought lingered with me that she was most likely just awaiting my arrival at her location, wherever that was. I wasn't completely certain if there was a such thing as direction here, like in outer space.

Shrugging to myself and not really finding any reason not to figure it out, I began to walk in a random direction, trying to keep in as straight of a path as I could manage. I found that task difficult, since there was nothing to remind me if I had gone that direction already or not. But deciding to just rely on my overall mental compass, I found out that I never knew darkness could be that dull. There was no sounds, not even my footsteps making any noise on whatever surface that kept me walking. I could barely hear my own breathing, the sound not being able to echo off anything to give it any amplification.

After walking for an amount of time I couldn't be sure of, since maybe time didn't exist here, I came to a conclusion. With my last thought of nonexistent time, nor space, I was going absolutely nowhere. It made me think of my Element and that of my copy. Time and Space. One couldn't exist without the other, like Light and Darkness. With space, as in matter, time begins to swirl. But without time, no matter could be formed and developed.

Thinking in terms of physics, spacetime is a mathematical model that combines both Elements into a single continuum, but the manifold that is consisted of four dimensions, three of space and one of a different sort being space. And this single dimension of time cannot be separated from the three of space, since the observed rate depends on the object's velocity in accordance with the observer, and also with the gravitational fields, which could also affect time. In Edgar Allen Poe's essay of cosmology, entitled _Eureka_, he states, 'Space and duration are one…There is no difference between time and any of the three dimensions of space except that our consciousness moves along it.'

Coming to that deduction, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my D-Tector. It was flashing madly, like it was overcharged or something. I shrugged and pressed the Data Render button. Light shot out from the screen and filled the nothingness to reveal a tall, fourteen-story building in the middle of a bustling city, a district of Tokyo. The front door was wide open and pocketing my D-Tector again, I headed inside. Instantly, I noticed there was no one inside. My double was not waiting for me. Maybe I just wasn't where I thought I was. "Is anyone here?" I called out, looking around, seeing not a soul.

I walked down the long hallway, the smell of dust irritating my sinuses slightly. All of the doors were numbered and closed, giving me the idea that it was an apartment building. As I reached the end of hallway, I noticed the door to the stairway was wide open, as if I was supposed to go up there or something.

Standing there looking at it, I debated if I should go back outside. There was the possibility that it all way some sort of trap, like something was waiting for me to wander into its territory and to take me down while I was unwary. For all I knew, there could've been nothing there at all and I was going hit a dead end and am forced to turn back around to the main floor to find somewhere else to go in the part of Tokyo it appeared that I was in.

But, giving an indifferent shrug of my shoulders, I figured that it couldn't hurt all that much to go up and look around. It almost felt like it was pleading me to go up, like there's something up there I had to see for myself with my own two eyes. It was like a calling from my head, telling me exactly what I should be doing, when I should do it, and how I should do it. The voice was almost like it was whispering in my ear, _Go. Go up there now. Your sweet destiny awaits you there, you must go…_

I walked through the doorway and made my way up the steps. Windows overlooking the street were placed at every level, to get a good look from above, and something about that whole concept made my heart leap. But I tried to ignore the feeling, making my way up level after level. All of the doors leading into the hallway from the stairwell were closed and locked until I got to the tenth floor, where the door was again propped open.

As I saw one of the apartment doors wide open, I felt a little pang of déjà vu and my heart beginning to quicken its pace. I tried to calm my senses by humming a little tune of a song I wasn't sure of, and this time, it wasn't of any help to me at all whatsoever. Again the thought of turning back came to mind and I almost fully took my head up on it. I pivoted my feet around back towards the doorway before getting over myself and walking towards the apartment door. I had to shake weird fears off if I wanted to get anything done here, or anywhere else for that matter. I had to face my problems head-on to defeat them, I couldn't run away. That's how I got where I was.

When I got to the doorway and looked in, I froze at what I saw. "It-It can't be…" I whispered to no one in particular, my feet moving inside before my brain could determine if I did so. I was instantly greeted by the living room, the furniture all the same ways I remembered it. "It's my old apartment…" I felt the remembrance taking my breath from me, not sure what emotions to portray on my discovery. So trying to keep my feelings bundled up, I walked around the room. It was set up exactly the same; the TV put up on an entertainment unit with a bunch of family photos hanging on the walls and on the coffee table nearby. All of the furniture was set up to all be pointed towards the television, the said coffee table put a few feet from the couch for the lazy soul to put their feet up on.

I headed over to coffee table and noticed one of the photos propped up in its frame sitting there. It was a picture taken of me and Koichi years back. The background showed it was in fall according to the colors of the changing leaves, and I was on Koichi's back getting a piggyback ride. We were both smiling and laughing, and I loved the way his eyes shimmered when he smiled. They lit up everyone's lives with such happiness. I remembered how he always knew what to do when I was sad, and evidence on the color of my face showed I had been crying only minutes before the picture was taken. He could make anyone smile, he just knew how to make people laugh and be glad to be alive.

I sighed lightly. "_Nii-san…_" I reached down to wipe the dust that had managed to collect on the said photograph. I ran my fingers over it, but none of the dust moved from its resting place. I paused for a moment to think about why this was so. Maybe it was because this was all in my mind, a corridor I had entered when connecting consciousnesses with my double, and so I couldn't affect the natural state of things, how they were in my—or possibly her—memories. That explained why I couldn't open any of the doors, because I hadn't been in them to know what they were like inside, or even if they opened in reality. I had always taken the same route to my apartment, my parents never had wanted me to wander off on the other levels.

Deciding to continue my reminiscence of the place I lived until I was around eight. My next destination was the kitchen, breezing through the dining room after seeing there was nothing there that had really caught my attention. On the counter, I saw a ceramic bowl filled with fresh fruit. It was then I realized that I was slightly hungry and walked over to it without thinking about my natural state theory that I had come up with just moments before. I reached in the bowl for an apple and tried to grasp my hand around it, but I stared as I watched my hand go right through the fruit and touch the bottom of the bowl. It struck me as odd, since I could touch everything else there.

So I turned and looked around for anything else that I could possibly not be able to touch. A box of cereal sat on the far counter, left there from the morning's breakfast, I concluded. I put my hand on it and found that it was solid to me, being able to grasp it, but nonetheless, not move it. I again scanned the room and saw the plants sitting in the windowsill absorbing sunlight from the rays coming down. I swiped my hand at it and as if I was some sort of ghost, again my hand passed through.

I cocked my head over to the side, just staring at my hand and then back at the fruit and plant. I then theorized that maybe I couldn't touch anything that was at one time or is currently living. I figured that maybe it was because touch could affect life or death. Trying to think of some complex, physics-related way of figuring this out, I came up with absolutely no way to explain the concept in my head. So I merely dismissed it, leaving the concept as the conclusion 'It is because it is supposed to be so, no questions asked'.

Getting that settled, I exited the kitchen and headed for the hallway towards the bedrooms. I was forced to share a room with Yukio, being the youngest, and our room was located at the end of that same hallway. I immediately went inside and looked around, seeing a sheer divider between my side of the room and my older brother's by the way it was all set up and decorated. I glanced up at the wall and saw the date, my eyes growing wide and trying to disregard those possibilities. My birthday. December seventeenth.

I wiped my hands over my face, shaking the thoughts away from me. _No, this couldn't be the day. Maybe it's the date how I last remember it being on the wall right there. _Shoving those thoughts to the back of my head, I looked around at how a much younger me arranged her room. All the shelves were full of little knickknacks, some of this and that with no real sense of decorative theme. I saw how neatly my bed was made, not a single wrinkle in any of the blankets.

I shook my head at my foolish younger self. I used to make time for the most unnecessary things. Neither one of my parents ever truly forced me to keep my bed so perfect; I just always used to take the time to make it. How I used to focus on the most unimportant things made me almost envy the younger Mirai in that photo back in the living room. She had no sense of judgment and the importance of some things. The time I used to take to make my bed was a vital ritual then, since I had heard the way you make your bed determines how stressful your life is. Koichi always made everything perfect, nothing was ever a stressor for me when he was around.

My _nii-san _was the one that told me about the bed-making theory, and I had wanted to prove to him just what he meant to me. Some of the days were a bit on the rough side, but even so, he always found a way into my heart to make me feel better. He knew exactly what to say, when to say it, what to do, when to do it. He always gave me comfort when he'd take my hand and we'd just wander around Shibuya, spending a few yen to get a bite to eat on the way and having a good time just talking and enjoying each other's company.

He had been the one to introduce me to Takuya in the first place back when we were younger. I wasn't the most outgoing kid, despite how open I became after knowing someone for a long period of time. So Koichi just went over with me to introduce myself, he was the one to push me into being friends with the few that I had. Really, I felt that he was the only friend I really needed; he was always there when I wanted him to be and he always made time just to be with me. That gave me a bigger sense of worth than I had ever felt in my life.

Hearing voices in the other room snapped me out of my trance of thought, my memories of _nii-san_. I walked out of the bedroom to investigate who had arrived. Stepping out into the hallway, I found myself immobile to what I saw. My younger self breezed right through me and into my bedroom with a loud slam of the door. But not without noticing her face. It was dampened with fresh tears, her hair mangled into her face in disarray. She wore dress pants and a new pale blue t-shirt with little shiny sequins sewn along the collar. I remembered when I had worn that last; the only time I had worn that set of clothing. I couldn't have forgotten, despite how much I had always wanted to.

Panic crashed onto me head-on and I felt my hands begin to shake. _No. It's not, it's not. It can't be that day. I can't live through this again…_ I tried to sort through my thoughts, looking for some sort of resolution, some way out. I found none. It was just something I couldn't bear through, despite the fact that I had to. _No!_ I told myself. _This can't be it. It just can't be._ I knew I was being irrationally stubborn to face the truth, but it was the only sense of hope I had.

As a natural reaction, I stepped aside when Koichi ran to the door and went in. I remembered why I was so upset. My parents had both had to work on my birthday, so we went to eat with money they had given us beforehand. And I was always allowed only one gift for my birthday, since I was told that it built frugalness. Koichi always found the perfect gift for me and it was always something that I never expected. Over time, I had gotten the idea to hint toward things I wanted, but he always went against that and found something I hadn't even thought of.

And on this particular birthday, he had gotten me a beautiful porcelain neko. It was easy to see it was hand-painted and had the design of sakura flowers all over it. Instantly, I had fallen in love with it, finding it better than anything I had hinted at that year. Yukio had wanted to see it, but I had been rather bigheaded and didn't allow him to. So one thing led to another and before we knew it, it had fallen to the floor and shattered in to little shards. I had sat there with large, tear-filled eyes, trying to gulp back everything that I said I was strong enough to hold back because I was a year older. But there was only a day's difference between one age and another, and I had a long way to go till I learned that.

But I knew for certain when looking back that that was the year of my life that I had grown the most and opened my eyes to see how the world truly was.

I listened in on the words that Koichi said to me that day, even though I nearly knew the words by heart. They were forever imbedded in my mind. "Mirai, I'm sure Yukio didn't mean to break your present. I—" I was foolish enough as to cut him off.

"He's always mean to me! He did it on purpose!" my younger self retaliated. I instantly saw myself in her, how little I had actually matured. Maybe my double was right; I blamed others for all of my mistakes. As I saw it looking from there, things made more sense than I had ever allowed myself to comprehend. And because of that blindness that I held, it was my fault for—

I didn't let myself finish the thought, turning my attention back at the conversation my younger form and Koichi were holding. Koichi was the one next to speak, keeping his calm, soothing voice that seemed to be ever-existent. "I'm sure he'd apologize if you just gave him the chance. And even so, I can always buy you a new neko that looks just like the first one. Is that all right?" _No!_ I cried in my head to the younger me, A_ccept it! Accept it and be content for once! Please!_

But the past was the past; I couldn't change it. There was nothing I could do but watch it fly by me, despite how badly I wanted to go back, go back and do it all over. And I had to live with my obstinate attitude that I had shown that day. "No! It's not all right! I want the old one and I know that Yukio isn't sorry! You can't make it any different no matter what you say; you can't make him be really sorry! He never is! I hate him!" my littler self screamed, the door opening and her tiny frame running past with her face streamed with anger and sorrow. Her eyes were set forward ahead of her, her lips curved downward to form an expression that exhibited all of her emotions clear as day.

"Mirai!" Koichi was soon on her tail, trying to get her to stop. I knew she wouldn't have even if I didn't know how this all played out. I wished what I would have known what he would have said to me afterwards, what he wanted me to stop and hear. But she had no intention of even pausing to catch her breath. I wished she would've, so maybe this wouldn't have ended so. I wished Koichi would've caught up to her, made _her_ apologize so maybe my present self would be different. I wished for this all to change.

Before I knew what I was truly thinking, my heart was set on stopping them and I was running out the door in an instant. "Please stop!" I cried out, my foolish mind thinking that maybe they could hear me. "No! Don't chase after me, _Nii-san_! Let her go!" What I needed was a miracle, something sent from Above so this story would have a different ending. I never thought about the side of me that was using common sense, knowing that there just wasn't a such thing as miracles here. Not in this story. Not in this lifetime.

All the while, the time while I was trying to catch up to them, the younger Mirai went down the stairwell, going down to the main floor to get away. Koichi was shouting for her to come back, that he'll fix the neko so she'll be happy again. But I remembered that deep down, it wasn't about my birthday present. I had just been angry with Yukio, the way I always thought he ruined everything. The way I believed he stole all of the times I thought I'd be happy, and now this time he was stealing my closest friend. Koichi.

I had hated it when Koichi had taken Yukio's side, I felt betrayed and stabbed in the back by the one person I thought I could possibly count on and go to when I needed help. He was stealing the thing I had always relied on when I had a bad day, skinned my knees, or anything. Koichi had always been there for me, even when everyone else tried to make me just go and deal with things at how they were. Even though they were only trying to give me a taste of reality, I loved the attention that I had always received from my _nii-san_. I had thought I never received it from anyone else and so I _deserved_ what I got from Koichi. All in all, I think all he did was spoil me, enough that I thought I was to have that interest coming just for being me.

And I was blind enough to believe that I just that special of a person to get all of this treatment. I felt so foolish now for thinking that the world revolved around me and only me alone, and it hurt all the more just seeing this again from a different perspective to realize that I was that off-set for far too long, so ignorant to face the truth. It was as though my conscience had gone into comatose until now. I had always thought everyone around me were stupid and arrogant when in true reality, I was the one with the problem.

I instantly decided I needed to change this, I needed to do _something_. What it was, I had no idea, but as I was already running down the stairs, I saw no options arising in mind except for one word: Go. "Please…please…" I whispered, feeling my chest tighten up as I kept proceeding down the steps in a pace that nearly made my lungs burst. Koichi was running less than a flight in front of me and I kept going, running in desperation with my lips cut open from my teeth pressing down on them. There had to be a way to prevent this. I couldn't let history repeat itself. It just couldn't end like this again. I refused to let it.

"Mirai! Please realize what you're doing! You'll regret this for the rest of your life! Don't become what I already have!" I cried down the few sets of stairs, praying in my head that the dear God would let her hear me and come to her senses before it was too late to go back and do it over, to just apologize and get over mistakes. "Just open your eyes and realize that nothing is as perfect as it seems, that nothing can ensure eternal happiness, that things don't always work out the way you want them to! PLEASE!"

I could only watch as Koichi ran down a flight, turned to continue, and lost his footing. It all seemed to move in slow motion from this point on and it only hurt more because it lasted all the longer. One leg twisted around the other, tripping it. He tried to reach out to regain his balance, but he staggered to one side, and crashed into the window overlooking Shibuya. I felt the tears begin to make their way out of my eyes as I saw the glass shatter and I lunged for the last change I had to change this.

I reached for his hand and only watched in tear-stricken agony as my hand passed through his. "NO!" I screamed as his figure fell from the newly-created opening down the many feet below. I fell to my knees and threw my fists to the floor, allowing the tears to escape and stream down my face. I lost my breath, like someone had reached their cold, callous hands around my neck and was suffocating me. His yell reverberated in my ears, being a constant reminder to me that it was my fault. Not his, not Yukio's.

Mine.

I picked myself and ran the rest of the way down and out of the apartment building. Exhaustion wasn't a factor me now, just overwhelming sadness that seemed to encase me like a fog. The tears blurred my vision, but I remembered exactly where he lied from the first time I saw his motionless body. And I did as I did then. I broke down and sobbed. The scene was forever imprinted in my mind. The blood that covered the sidewalk where he landed, his mangled dusty, brown hair dyed with bright crimson. His hand was out to his side, slightly curled as if he had tried to reach for me, like he knew I was trying in such desperation to save him. A frown was missing from his face, one that had never ceased to bring me happiness in all of my days in the past that had ended at this moment. His eyes were shut, his eyelids concealing his always-shining golden orbs that had always given me such comfort.

But not now. There was no comfort in anything I had seen replayed for me that day. Koichi was gone, my _nii-san_ taken from my arms. He was taken by my own hand, my own mistakes cost someone else, _my own brother_, his life. There was nothing that had any ability to cure this hole that was reburrowed in my heart and exposed to take more blows. All of my meaning that I had found in life had been carried away, taken to a place that I just couldn't reach.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I really am! Please…please…come back to me…" My younger form's words echoed in my ears, shadowing all the things that I felt once again for all of this, a wound with the scab pulled off, reopened and hurting more than ever. Words couldn't begin to describe all the things that appeared in my mind, all the things that I could've done to prevent this, prevent this pain and agony. Things that would've kept Koichi here with me.

I wanted at least one more chance to speak to him and talk to him just like we used to, to thank him for everything that he had taught me that's helped me realize just who I was, to tell him that I've gotten over all of my selfishness and everything that made me feel the world was all against me, to tell him that I've learned to forgive and forget, to tell him that I needed him to carry on and stay strong on my own two feet. I wanted to say I was sorry.

There was a sudden flash of blinding white light as I watched everything pass around me, times shooting by. It was a sudden flash forward to Koichi's burial, just a few days later. My parents had forced me to go, I had locked myself in my room and sobbed for days on end, thinking—no, _praying_—that my tears could bring him back. My face was pale and flushed from all of the crying I had done ever since his death, and my eyes were red and bloodshot. I didn't want to be there that day as they took the casket and put it in the deep hole; I didn't want that to be my last day with Koichi. I wanted to throw myself on the casket, shouting that if they want him to be left there and forgotten, they were going to have to bury me along with him.

I had refused to watch them lower the casket down to my oldest brother's final resting place; I had buried my face in my father's shirt and continued to cry. I hadn't found it soothing when he wrapped his arms around me, I knew it wasn't equal to the sadness that this was due for. I had felt almost ashamed, I felt as though everyone knew what I did and they were ignoring me for that very reason. I didn't want to believe them, I wanted them to know I didn't mean it. But more and more, it brought me down and showed me how unjust it was how I felt like I was blamed for it. I wanted them to know I didn't mean it, I wanted Koichi to know that, but it was far too late.

It was one more wish that didn't come true. Another miracle that just didn't exist.

I watched as everyone began to walk away after the dirt was placed back in the hole and flowers were placed upon the grave. I watched as my younger self was carried back by my father to the car, staring with teary eyes back at the grave. Afterwards, I walked over to the place my brother was buried and gazed down at it, teardrops falling down from my eyes. "I'm sorry, _Nii-san_…" I whispered to the wind, a belief dwelling in me that he could somehow hear me and understand. "I wish I could go back and stop all this. You can't imagine how much I do…" I bit my bloody lip and went down to my knees, finding things that just needed to be said. "I haven't found a single day you didn't cross my mind and I wanted so badly to make amends. I'd give anything to see you again, I can hardly live with myself knowing that it all ended like this…"

I wiped a tear from my cheek and continued somberly, "All I ever wanted—all I ever needed so bad—was to see you…But I guess…this is as close as I can get to you. Whenever my birthday comes around, I always stop and think of you. I don't feel good when knowing you went away on a day I was supposed to be happy to be with you. I was never thankful for the things everyone did for me and this is the cost…" I felt a pain in my chest as my breathing sped up and I found it impossible to keep all of the tears away and off my face.

"You were never an enemy to me, I'm ashamed that it ended on that note. I always loved the ways you sang to me every night, you're voice was always the thing that calmed me and allowed me to go asleep in rest for the day ahead. I try to remember you through songs, they're my personal memorial to you. How you were so kind and caring, you never let me get hurt. But you were also true to your own feelings, you never found the need to hide your emotions…Maybe I envy you a little. Everyone loved you for who you were, but I thought differently about myself and just stopped caring if people liked me. I know that's not how you want me to be and I'm sorry." I tucked a strand of hair that stuck to my face with tears behind my ear, what he always did when I had a stray hair on my face.

"So for you, for everyone, I'll try harder. I'll try to be a better person, and eliminate all that hatred I had to those who only want the best for me. Thanks, Koichi. Thanks for teaching me everything that I know now." I wiped my face and rose to my feet, taking a final look at the writing on his gravestone. The words were written in Greek, but it was never any mystery as to what they meant. And I couldn't have found better words for him._ "Alithinos sto pnema tou…"_

True to his own spirit.

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**Okay, the thing I'm most concerned about at this point is my writing in third person. So I'd like some comments as to how well I wrote that part and maybe some criticism. But remember, no flames, no one likes their work torn down upon.**


	29. Chapter 27

**I can't believe I actually wrote another chapter of this for so long. I had quit this a few months back after I had gotten a flame that really affected me. The reviewer wrote that my OCs character was totally unrelatable. But that really struck me hard. I felt the same emotions she did, I put my own feelings into my writing, that's what makes it my own. I really am like Mirai in a way; I always felt like that I could never open up to anyone, that the world hated me no matter who I tried to be. And I constantly felt resentment towards everyone for that. I had been a cold person too, and I still am sometimes. That person deep down inside me that I always try to bury deep down, that's the person that I try so hard not to be. **

**And so I use writing as my outlet, as my way to portray the emotions that I hide, to say the things that I need to. And there are times that I have my outbursts when I completely lose my cool on someone, and that always makes me feel like crap. And through that hurt, I still wonder why they still give a damn. I still am looking for this answer.**

**There are nights that I cry myself to sleep just thinking about how much I hate my life, crying out all the emotions that I wish I had the courage to express to the world. Hell, I can't even admit to the guy I like the feelings I have. **

**And this HUMAN emotion is unrelatable? Am I really so different then everyone else out there? Am I the only one that feels this way? Am I the only one that's ever had to fake a smile just so others don't begin any stupid interrogation, who has to laugh off the pain just to push away all the things that are meant to be expressed? No one, not one person, can feel this way. And the one who flamed me should know this too, so if you're reading this (you know exactly who you are), you can just do some soul-searching and find maybe not everyone's perfect.**

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Chapter 27

—Third Person Narration—

"The one you knew in the past no longer exists. I am in full control and she is lost in with the tides of her own mind, a domain I have created with no true exit." The Mirai counterfeit paced back and forth before Takuya, like a tiger trapped in a cage. Her eyes were like stone, but her lips were molded into a smirk, making for an expression of mind possession, the mind having complete power over the body under abnormal circumstances. "Thus far I haven't even felt the slightest amount of resistance. You might as well accept the fact now that you'll never see her again. But don't worry, I'm far superior, so her existence has little significance anyway."

Takuya shook his head, grinding his upper and lower jaws together. "No, I refuse to believe she's gone! I know Mirai and she's much too stubborn to given in so quickly. She just needs time and then she'll take you out!" His eyes revealed a bright flame of hope, one that couldn't be snuffed out like a little candle. He had the belief through all the memories he held in his mind to keep him going in this faith. But, he reasoned, it didn't mean he should just stand by and do nothing.

"You say those words like you bothered to learn about us, like you actually cared. Why must you continue to lie?" Her voice was a high hiss, using the word 'us' as if she knew how the other one trapped in her head felt. "What did you ever expect you would gain? Perhaps another who cared like my former, or maybe you wanted her to find out, you _wanted_ to make her hurt." Her eyes laid upon his with an expectation for a response of some sort.

"Stop making it seem like it's all my fault! I didn't expect Karin to be there that day, I wanted nothing to do with her. She took me by surprise, and I was up against the wall. Before I could even say anything or push her away, she was kissing me." His voice lowered when reaching his last sentences, showing that he was almost ashamed of it. "I didn't know what to do, I panicked. I didn't get caught up in the moment, I just froze. I was scared and I instantly was afraid of the exact thing that happened."

Mirai's double stopped pacing to stare at him with blank eyes, an expression that was completely void of all emotions and feelings. "Cute story. Where'd you get it, a soap opera? I know how you are, Takuya Kanbara, once you touch a girl, you can't fight her. You submit like a _little slave boy_." Her lips slowly curved upwards while moving with the words. She was whittling down all of his endurance bit by bit, like a sander shaving it all off layer after layer.

And it worked too. That last strand of patience he had with her snapped like a cord. "I'll demonstrate just how wrong you are! I'll submit to the goal of kicking your _oshiri_!" He tackled her down and they both tumbled into the cold, rushing water. Holding their breath, they threw kicks and punches wildly at each other while bashing against the rocks that rested on the bottom. And tangled up in the seaweed, they tried desperately to break free, clouds of dirt mixed with blood that tainted the once clear water like a deep fog.

The dirt forced them to close their eyes, causing them to fight completely blind. Damage was almost self-inflicted at this point and almost certainly preventable, yet those casualties didn't faze them from their conflict. The water swirling around their bodies didn't slow them. they didn't bother to battle the current, only each other, for the cold stream that enveloped them from every point seemed to only drive them in combat all the harder. This was a fight for more than just triumphant glory or to prove a point. This was for their own lives.

The dark Mirai managed to get her hands around Takuya's neck and began to drain out what little oxygen he had left in his lungs, the grip making his bones scream out at him for a mercy he just couldn't give even if he wanted to. He could hear his heart pounding, reverberating in booms in his ears. Desperation cried in his mind and made him resort to his last, dice-rolling measure. He opened his mouth, water rushing in as he did so, and he shouted out, "Ancient Spirit of Flame!"

His D-Tector erupted into a deep red flame, the color of a rose in bloom. It evaporated all of the water and casted itself into his hand. At that moment, his enmity rose to an inhuman temperature, making his skin unbearably hot to the touch and forcing the Mirai copy to release him. He pressed the button on the side of his D-Tector and the cord of Data around his and became visible. "Execute!" He bashed the scanner part of the Digivice on the Data, making sparks shoot out from the contact. "Spirit Evolution!" He became one with the Spirit and took its form, feeling the power of Flame coursing through his veins like his own blood and giving him courage. "Agunimon!"

The counterfeit merely smirked in slight amusement at the transformation that had just taken place. "Really? You honestly wish to fight me? Don't count on it. With me, I hold both the Spirits of Space and Time. With them, a new Spirit has come together, energy of from each combining and creating a new Evolution all together, one not included with the original Twelve Legendary Warriors." She pulled out the burgundy and silver D-Tector, and displayed on the screen was a fifth figurine, neither specific Human or Beast Spirit. She pushed the side button and around her hand Data that was a deep copper color appeared. "Execute." When the scanner collided, the Data erupted and cacooned her inside. "Polymerization Spirit Evolution!" Inside the orb of Data, the new Spirit appeared and she extended her hand and touched it, their forms uniting and bonding into one. "Ryoushinmon!"

The figure that appeared had characteristics of both Elements. Her form was primarily human, the stature and body structure giving it away and making it extremely evident. A metal plate covered her eyes and the armor covering her body closely resembled that of Gryphanimon's. Shining black hair fell down to waist level that was tipped off at the ends with silver. A single sword rested in its sheave. Her hands were covered with dark gloves with a steel plate brace that stretched just inches from her elbow to the tips of her fingers. Along the middle of it, spikes could withdraw to pierce and hold the target. Her mouth was completely visible, the closest armor stretching just past her ears, and also part of her helmet coming down to a point right at the arch of her nose. The symbols of Space and Time were emblazoned upon her, one placed on each of her shoulders.

A small smirk played up onto Ryoushinmon's face, revealing her bright white teeth. "This should prove to be quite entertaining. You use a mere Human Spirit because that is the bare minimum of your strength. Your foolish emotions control you. I thrive because I throw emotion away, I live because love is a weakness." She stepped toward a stone-faced Agunimon in a walk that made her hips sway back and forth and her hair wave like the movements of a water snake. "It's a pity that you're weak. You really are sexy." She ran her fingers down his cheek and then over his lips, all the while only his eyes moved, following every movement she made. "Such soft skin." She tossed her head to the side slightly, taking in all of his features. "And those beautiful blue eyes. They make you seem so…innocent." She then frowned, letting out a small sigh. "But looks can be deceiving, I'm afraid…"

Agunimon lifted his and his fingers snapped around her hand. "I'll say the same to you," he scoffed in response. "Now if you're done flirting…" He turned his head slightly. "Unless all you do is talk your enemies to death…?" Despite the taunt and his tone, his face remained firm and without much emotion. He wasn't very distracted by her little flirtations and her maybe-faked turned on actions, although it might not have been her main intention to make that so.

She smiled; a smile that actually almost seemed real and alive, one that actually held real emotions. But one could only wish for so much. "Aren't we eager? I just wanna talk for now, Cutie, can't you let me do even that without a single complaint?" She pulled out of his grasp and then began to run her index and middle fingers up and down his chest armor, looking up at him expectantly. "Can you find it in your heart for just one little tiny favor?"

His answer came without a second's hesitation. "I think I'll pass, thank you very much." He sprung back away from her. "Pyro Tornado!" He was enveloped in a tornado of flames that moved towards Ryoushinmon, who merely stood there with a hand placed on her hip. She mumbled to herself about his weak combat, and when the flames dispersed and he threw his leg at her, threw her arm up to block. She merely smiled as blood oozed from her new, open wound. She answered his look of perplexity with an amount of smugness in her voice, "Have you _never_ seen the blood from injuries my former had sustained in this world when there was to be Data? That is because she wishes to feel the pain, she expects it to exist here because pain is inevitable. This is a world that allows anything to be so if you truly will it. Data and Fractal Code can easily be reconfigured." She threw a kick at Agunimon's face, and if he wouldn't have anticipated the blow, he would've been struck right at its mark.

The Warrior of Flame resumed combat after narrowly dodging the attack, all the while contemplating whether or not this was really something that had to be done. It was true that that was the only thing he could come up with no plan throwing itself together in his head like it normally did, but nonetheless, he had to remember just _who_ it was he was fighting. That made everything different. There was a possible cost to this, and that was the possibility that only one of them escaping from that place alive. And there was also the possibility that if actions weren't taken in full defensive, neither one of them would walk away.

Ryoushinmon let out the smallest of snickers, only loud enough for Agunimon to barely hear and distinguish as an action of slight haughtiness. "You hold back on me, even though there is no true reason to do so. You're merely just let yourself take minimal damage since you think you can just wait out time itself. Face the truth, Kanbara, the one you knew will never hold presence. Here, or the human world. Not everything is happiness and bliss; you'll come to learn most things are bittersweet. But looking at all my memories, I realize just how stupid and stubborn you really are. When things are completely hopeless, you're just too stupid to know when to give up." The wind blew dark strands of hair into her face and she held a cluster between her lips.

He blinked a few times as if answering a silent question with a silent gesture, a nonchalant expression curved around on his mouth so that it emphasized the rest of his face. "Maybe you're the stupid one. To not know of the one who you are based off of, the only person that can truly eliminate you for good, how she still exists inside your mind. To actually believe for a single second that you have full dominance: that makes your weakness even weaker."

There was a long silence that followed, the only sound being the whistling of the wind blowing around them, rustling in the leaves of the trees. A pin dropping would've made an explosion if compared to the amount of sound the two Warriors were making. Gazes were locked and held like they were drawn like a magnetic pull holding them together, their stares hard as stone, firm and without any change at any second. It was as if time had stopped at that very moment in time.

Their figures hunched into a poised position, stones of the shoreline shifting under their feet, and their fingers flexed in anticipation. Ryoushinmon bared her teeth like a beast threatening another that dared cross into its territory, and through the locked jaw, she managed a stifled laugh to herself. _Show me just what you stand for, little fire boy…_ She cocked her head to the side, searching out the weakest part of her opponent's armor on which to strike.

Takuya, his human form resting inside the form of the Warrior of Flame, tossed around all the ideas he could scrounge up in his head. But his focus couldn't remain on how to defeat this new threat, it kept trailing off onto things of what he considered to be of more importance. Normally he would be pumped for a one-on-one fight with one under Cherubimon, but this one wasn't all under Cherubimon, part of her was her own being. One he just didn't want to fight. _Be strong, Mirai, you have pull through this. I really don't want to explain this to Koji—wait, wait, that's not right. Stay on track, Takuya…_ He sighed, frustrated with himself for getting himself away from the vitals._ Okay, so I have to hold out long enough, I have to keep talking to the Mirai deep down while I'm fighting, maybe that'll work. God, it'd help if I knew what Ryoushinmon could do, it's like I'm going out onto the battlefield without any clue what country I'm fighting. I guess playing it safe will have to do for a while…_

All last thoughts and doubts immediately aside, the two combatants' expressions became that of a statue. The wind picked up speed into a chilling nip, whipping their hair out like waves. They remained unblinking as that final moment of hard, stressed peace ended and they both lunged at each other, leaving those hesitations behind them with only the future mattering from that moment forward.

* * *

—Mirai's POV—

The place I had stumbled into had no bearing to my memories, being of its own significance that had no relation to anything of my past. It was desolate and blank, yet I knew it was different from the spaceless corridors I had previously been wandering. I could hear sounds, the tap of my shoes on solid matter, my breath echoing throughout the chambers of which had no seen boundaries, no beginning and no end. Without a second thought, I put up my guard, feeling this wasn't a place my double had just conveniently made to confuse me. There was something more, something was going to happen here of importance. It bothered me to know not of what it was.

The suspense was killing me. I wanted to know desperately what was going on in the world outside my physical body, outside my mind's eye that was blocked by the outside force that looked identical to myself. I was praying for the safety of the other Warriors, their understanding that I never meant for any of this to occur, and finally, the most important to me, their forgiveness. I had yet to forgive myself, I didn't deserve to let up that soon on my own punishment, but acceptance of others brought me one step closer to my own acceptance of myself.

"God, I hope they're all right…" I mumbled for my own comfort more than the actual care of their safety, wanting to punch something to get my impatience and anxiety out of me. I added in my head, _'Cause if they're not, it's my fault. If I kill another one, it's most assuredly going to make me kill myself. It'd be like visiting that memory, over and over again, because through their faces, I see his…_ "If I could see the outside, maybe I could see someone…"

A light suddenly appeared in the emptiness and sounds began to reverberate in the area. The source of the light, I found out through approaching, was a window, a screen like that of a television or a case displaying something at a museum. I walked to it and looked through it to what it had to reveal.

It was like looking through my own physical eyes. I could see the place I once was, the place with the river, the waterfall, and dark sky. But when I tried to look around, I couldn't see anywhere else, just the field of vision that my body had currently. And the one thing that I could see was something I refused to. I wanted to cover my eyes and run like a child, like I would've willingly done just days ago. I would've just walked away from this, but now, I was frozen in place, my eyes sealed to the scene. I stood there in agonized conjecture watching as my own body in some sort of Spirit Evolution form had brought Agunimon, battered and bruised, down onto his knees.

I could hear his breath. Long, forced. I felt a pang of guilt, a feeling I hadn't felt towards the human inside him in a long time. I was so caught up, never realizing what he continually went through for me. Now it was me killing him, my own hands committing what once would have brought me substantial pleasure, now made me hurt inside. And the worst thing to deal with was the fact I couldn't even stop myself, not as the gloats and mockery came out of my mouth, not as I kicked him onto his back and started beating him, not even as I pulled out a sword.

I felt my heart jump into my mouth as I began to pound on the screen with closed fists, as if somehow I could break free from myself to get away from what my own body was doing. "Don't hurt him!" I screamed in defiance of my own actions, my voice ripping through my windpipe like sandpaper, "Don't! Please! STOP!"

I felt my heartbeat pulsating in my hands as they uncontrollably went into a position as if I was actually holding the sword in my grasp above my head. I could almost feel the cold hilt and the weight of the steel. _Do I…actually have control?_ I cast the sword down into the ground before Agunimon and released my grip on the air that was in reality a weapon that was about to kill the very one that was trying to save me. _That…wasn't right. If I had full control, I would've been more than in my mind; I shouldn't be trapped in my head yet…_ I bit my lip in perplexity and voicing my thoughts, questioned aloud as to give myself a little more reassurance, "…Why am I still here?"

"Because I am still in complete control. Even though you may have temporarily overridden it, I was merely testing you to see just what little you're capable of."

I turned around and noticed a figure identical to mine walking out of the darkness, one hand placed upon her shoulder and the other was at her side, swaying in sync with her stride. Her attire was different than mine, dressed in a black blazer, a short skirt with tights under and high heel boots. Her hair was strung up in a bun with her bangs loosely hanging down. "Hello, Mirai." The corners of her lips curled up to a smirk and her lavender eyes changed into a deep crimson.

My jaw tightened as I refused to answer her greeting. My double wasn't worth replying to; she put everyone through hell and back again. And for what reason? Just to prove I was my own worst enemy, that I was worse than I wanted myself to believe? My mind couldn't grasp her reasoning; I couldn't find anything that would drive her to do so. The only logical explanation was because of Cherubimon's manipulation, reasoning that rooted down to him. He was the one to send the evil Legendary Warriors out into the Digital World, so there must have been some reason he had toward this situation as well. As far as I knew, he had all of this—even this very moment—planned out since the very beginning when he started his rebellion against the other two Celestials.

My dark self walked over to me like it was the catwalk, a giggle rising from the bottom of her throat. She came face to face with me, her heels making her slightly taller than me, but I could still feel her breath on my face. "The silent treatment." My eyes connected with hers the instant she spoke. "Proves just how grown up you are. You act like a child, not saying a thing until you get your way. Cute, girl, real cute if you had the attention span of a five-year-old. Although that isn't a completely wrong statement."

I let my eyes narrow automatically at her remark, holding my tongue from making an overly rash comment that could get my _oshiri _whipped if I wasn't careful. I couldn't be too overconfident, either, that was a mistake I would be able to easily make. I couldn't underestimate what she may be capable of; it may be more than it was possible to grasp. Our location came into effect as well; within a human mind many different conditions that under normal circumstances would be impossible could be suddenly all-too plausible. I had to be ready and on my guard for anything to come my way, but maybe that was the one thing here that indeed was impossible.

"Nothing to say? That's all right, it may make this all the more easy." She reached over and tucked a clump of hair behind my ear, as if she had a reason to care. I sunk my teeth into my bottom lip to refrain from snapping at her for even daring to touch me. I hated the feeling of the touch of others; there were only a select few I allowed to bring their fingers upon me. I didn't want anyone to think I was weak enough as to search for the support of any other's affection. I had wished not for it, nor felt the need for it.

She began to comb her fingers through my hair. "You have no longer any purpose here in this world. It had been Cherubimon who sent you here, and merely for the purpose as a model for the last Spirit he held in his position. And now, that your purpose has been fulfilled here, you are proving to be a nuisance and so I've come to dispose of you." Her words made it seem like she was merely disposing of something inanimate, like a broken toy or a vase that shattered on the floor.

My mouth morphed into a small smile that I tried to hide, but my chuckle gave it away. "You say I'm a nuisance, and yet I'm that of your original design. So when you say that, you're really also insulting yourself. It's sorta amusing, actually, that you think that you're all that much different than me now. You're a mirror to me, though you think you're superior, you're just like me. In strength, in weakness. You can't forget where we are. Even though you may believe you have control here, remember who knows this place best. I've known myself more than you have, no matter who you are." I let my head turn as I made certain to show my eyes were hard against hers. Violet to lavender.

"Show me then, little girl, what you're capable of, what you can possibly do to me." She back-stepped until she was a couple yards away from me, never once blinking or moving her gaze from me. "And let's make this interesting while we're at it." She cocked her head to the side and the corner of her mouth rose up ever so slightly.

There was a bright, flashing light that blinded me and forced me to shield my eyes. When it dimmed back to the original lighting, the once blank area was suddenly changed to a large room that had walls and the floor made of reflective crystal. I couldn't see the ceiling, the walls going on and on, never ending as far as I could see. The room slightly resembled Seraphimon's castle, although it wasn't as bright as it had been there, and there was no exit I could see. It was so I couldn't get away; she thought I'd have so little spine as to back down.

"Do what you will," I scoffed, returning my gaze back on my double, noticing she hadn't moved at all since the new location came to be. I doubted that she had even bothered to blink, seeming that she had the choice whether to do so or not. "I can do exactly what you can."

This remark made my double shake her head and smile deviously. "Oh really? Somehow I doubt that. I'm more evolved, more developed than you can even imagine." She suddenly disappeared from her place, and I felt a gust of wind hit my face and blow my hair. I spun around just as she thrust her leg around and struck my ankles, tripping me. I hit the floor hard, banging my head down and groaned in my displeasure, sliding my fingers across the floor to make a fist with each hand. "This is how things ought to be and how they will be; I am the more dominate between us and all you deserve is to have your blood pooled on the ground and your skull shattered."

"You think that one hit will keep me down? Don't underestimate me, _Mirai_. You'll only be underestimating yourself." I threw my feet under me and rose up quickly. The blow had taken the wind out of me slightly, but I knew she could've done so much more than she had. It was a taunt, her way of saying she didn't have to go full-force in order to bring me down. "After all, I might have meaning now, more than you could understand, knowing that you were formed from the person of the past."

She shook her head in a knowing disbelief of my words. "You have nothing to fight for. No one cares about you, you have no reason to care about them? Don't you remember anything that had happened in the past? When you were all alone with no hope for a bright tomorrow, the times you were found no one to lean on at the moments that giving up was imminent, when you knew there was no reason to continue?" She narrowed her eyes into a stare that tried to look deep into me. "Remember those times when—"

I felt my jaws tighten as I threw my fists down to my sides with velocity and in my rage. "Yes, I know how I felt! I can't just forget that! And hell, I was wrong to feel that way. I can't just blame others for my own shortcomings, despite how much I feel they're justified. That's what Koichi had always tried to teach me, that I should forgive and forget. But I was so caught up living in that illusion that I even saw his death the wrong way. I blamed Yukio on it all, he had been to ruin my birthday that year, even though it had been all my doing. Instead of the sadness that I refused to let control me, I was forcing myself to see that Yukio was taking the heat, and that left me with such anger and hatred…"

I was almost ashamed to admit that now, even to one who bathes herself within these transgressions. It was still a confession of my misdoings and I knew no one who had absolutely no problem with admitting when they did a great wrong. "And with such emotions," I continued, shoving my hands against her shoulders, but not pushing her away, "You can never win. Not that way." I stared hard at her, my mouth a thin, flat line against her nonchalant little smile.

She laughed at my words, touching my hands with her long, cold fingers, using her index and middle fingers in a walking motion over them, one finger in front of the other as if they were stepping upon my hands. "You amuse me so, Mirai. Just a few hours ago, you would've disagreed with your own words. You're growing so weak. So pitifully weak." I pulled her towards me so we were almost touching noses and dropped my arms. "Lord Cherubimon offered you so long ago to join willingly…and if only you had complied then, none of this would happen. Shame, girl, shame…" She caught me off-guard by lashing her arm out at my neck, putting me into a grip so tight I couldn't even swallow, lifting me off the ground and left my feet dangling.

I cried out a small whine that I could barely let out, grasping her hand with my own trying to pry it off. But at the same time, I heard another voice cry out. I could hardly crane my neck around, but it was just enough to see that translucent panel that gave me view of the outside. There, I saw Agunimon being held in the same choking manner. But he had been fighting my double and it showed. He could hardly put up a single act of struggle. _Takuya…_

"Why?" I growled with hardly any breath left to spare in my lungs. I felt the mere thought of suffocating burn my lungs. "Why must you do this to him? He has done nothing against you, _subeta_!" I ground my teeth together and tightening my grip on her hand. "You act upon the sheer pleasure of pain! But I won't let you do it to him! He doesn't deserve anything that has happened to him and I'll make sure nothing more harm comes to him!"

She cocked her head to the side at forty-five degree angle, ogling at me like I had just said the most intriguing thing she had ever heard. "Oh, but you are wrong. You of all people should remember what he has done. He took all happiness from you with that _subeta_ Karin. And he didn't try to make any amends; he just let it all go by without any explanation." I could suddenly see something written in her face, something I saw in my own reflection for the longest time: Under that anger, under that selfishness, under that hatred, under all that rage; there was isolation, there was loneliness. There was sadness.

There was a pleading for love.

"He took his own happiness and ran with it! He never cared who got hurt from his actions! He couldn't find any room in his heart to apologize and leave his mistakes behind him! He betrayed me!" She said _me. S_he was hurt from emotions that weren't even truly hers. She found reasons to justify anger, just as I had. She had been exactly like me; she hadn't found that revelation she needed. Deep down, she had felt the pain that I had refused to admit possession of, but felt through and through. Everything that I saw when I looked in the mirror but pretended not to see. I just hoped it'd fade away, I wished for the pain to end, but it never did. At least not then, when she was formed from my essence.

She had feelings, just like I did, like a normal human. Even being of a creation of Cherubimon and made completely of Data, she still held the emotions and bore the hurt that showed just how alive one could possibly be. I had felt sorry for myself and passed blame because I wanted to put pity upon myself, and she was doing the very same. She was my double, my copy. And just the fact that she was against me had made me automatically hate her from the start. And now realizing that she was actually feeling exactly how I was, merely because she indeed _was_ me, it made me hate myself.

I shook my head at her words as much as I could from my position, suddenly knowing that I had to defend Takuya here; it might be a way to get her guard down and somehow allow me to get a hold my physical body. "You know that isn't true! You know all of this to be one big misunderstanding. He's not the type to cheat!" I stared down at her with hard, understanding eyes. I wanted to show her that I had felt this same way and I found out the truth to this. Maybe I didn't know the whole story, but I had my strong reason to believe that I had been in the wrong for these years that I had been living under the impression that the first one I had been able to open up to and rely on was merely a fraud.

She managed to smile at me, as if she had clearly expected this response to come from my mouth. "Must you really have to always oppose me? So much that you change your whole beliefs just for something more to contradict with me? Or has that boy finally made you snap under your annoyance with fighting about it and brainwashed you into thinking that maybe he was right all along? That you were just too foolish to realize it and he never did any wrong?"

I had an instant counteraction to this remark. "Have you ever considered the possibility that _you're_ in the wrong? That maybe by some chance, he has actually decided to tell the truth, just as he had all the other times words came from his lips? I had for the longest time thought the same as you, believing that nothing perfect lasts forever, and that may be true, but you can never give up hope on all of the things that you still have. And one of those things is still his friendship. He hasn't given up on that, even though some other bond has been destroyed, it has been replaced by something equally valuable…I could've decided to remain in this feeling of perpetual betrayal, or do what I have now done—believe the one I trust." I kept my face like stone, my lips showing all the seriousness that I could hold within my entity. I wanted her to believe, I wanted her to see this truth that I was trying to show her, just as I have been too arrogant to see for all this time. But really, had I been this blind? This self-involved? This deceived?

She frowned at my words. "I have found that trusting others is an unnecessary effort that too many have taken the time for. Anyone foolish enough to be lured into this detestable reliance deserves such loneliness and rejection." I remembered those exact words all too well; they were mine. I had used them so many times in the past that they still continued to echo in my dreams.

I suddenly realized how drained I was of breath, like it all suddenly came to me. The lack of oxygen in my lungs, the burning in my windpipe, my head beginning to become light, the world around me beginning to spin round and round. I had been so caught up with convincing my double that I hadn't thought about my own well-being. And this is probably what she was hoping for; she wanted me down for the count so she had full order and could finish the Warrior of Flame off. "You know that isn't true…" I pivoted my head off to the side, blinking back my reminiscence of the first day that I had muttered the words that had just come from my double's lips. Hearing it from another seemed to make it all the worse; now I knew what it was truly like for someone else to watch someone's fall into depression. "I know it…you know it… everyone knows it…"

I saw her face twist into a hard glare, her eyes flashing a deep, murderous hue. _Did my face look like that?_ "I can end you right now. Is this really a moment to be testing my patience?" She was changing the subject; twisting everything into a reason for a threat. _Was I really like this?...Am I still like this now? Is this what Cherubimon's corrupted touch does to those already tainted by trespasses? Or is this just one big, twisted dream I'm having?_

I felt an overwhelming confidence come over me, starting from my head, going down to my toes, and then back up again. I somehow felt that empowered, like no matter what she did, I could counteract it in some way. I had no idea where it could've possibly come from, but it made me instantly ready for whatever she threw at me. "Try it. I _dare _you." Something seemed to be tugging at the back of my mind, something that was trying to tell me something that I needed to know. Paranoia? Maybe. But I had never sensed paranoia anything like this._ Come on. I know you can't do anything. After all, I'm the original. No copy can top an original design, no matter how much evil has enveloped them._

Her grip around my neck suddenly tightened like a vice. Her expression tightened as well, like this was frustrating to her. I remembered how opposition always had irritated me, and now she had to feel the same way. "Shut up, Mirai. I am your superior; your efforts are futile against me." The words of hidden aggravation, I knew them all too well. They had always flown from my mouth at times like these, so it was only natural for them to come out of hers too.

I returned her gaze with a crooked smile. "Are they?" I reached and grasped her wrist that was suspending me in the air and in the grip I put it in, I squeezed hard and it shattered like stone, transforming into coils of Data and then dispersing, leaving her with only one hand remaining. "This is my mind, my body, you have no right to be here, and no power here as long as I remain in control. If you leave without causing none any more harm, the deed will be returned."

The look she gave me was one I had never truly witnessed and it sent a chill down my spine just to see it directed to me: A look of complete loathing. "_Subeta_, why do you not wish to return that favor that traitor has given you? He deserves it, you and I both know this full well. Show him his just desserts and we shall know true happiness once it is dealt." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, still not completely losing all of her self-control yet.

"Holding anger is a poison…It eats you from inside…We think that by hating someone it hurts them…But hatred is a curved blade…and the harm we do to others…we also do to ourselves…" I mirrored her movements of tucking hair behind my own ear, showing that I too had my self-control. Two could play the game that she had begun. "This revelation was long overdue me, and now it's time I shared my learning to one that needs it just as much as I did."

"But you cannot forget your brother. Koichi…No one did anything to help you feel better about his loss, and where did that bring you? You quickly spiraled into deep depression, no one cared, no one even batted an eyelash your way in slight concern. You needed the comfort you never received. You just have to face this reality. There isn't a person in existence that cares how you feel about the death of your brother, how much you still hurt from knowing this could've all been prevented." Her voice came out as a hiss, in the like of The Snake tempting The Woman.

I shook my head, even though I knew some of her words were true. "I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have—life itself." I made sure that I locked eyes with her at this exact moment, knowing that my words came up with all seriousness of the feelings I had inside my being. "I've made my choice, and now it's time for you to make yours."

There was suddenly a flash of light as she was enveloped in an orb of Fractal Code and her Human Spirit Avaruusmon stood tall and enraged in her place. "I choose to destroy you here and now, Mirai. And now I'll have my vengeance upon all those I desire. They'll pay—the whole world will pay, starting with that Warrior of Flame, who deserves eternal damnation for all that he has done to me." She pulled out her sword towards me, pointing it towards my neck.

"I'd like to see you try." I felt Gryphanimon's essence fill me as I took my Spirit of Time's form. I knew that I could enter the fray with a substantial amount of confidence. After all, I just destroyed her entire hand without much effort on my part. It was because I was in control of myself; whatever I wanted to do her I could without any struggle from an outside force. "I'll even give you a free shot." I felt a grin escape onto my face when she leapt back and began forming an attack in her one remaining hand; she had accepted my challenge as I had expected. She was all in. "Go when you see fit." I began to tread forward, one step after another, taking my sweet time.

She launched her attack and I held out my palm toward it. The attack froze solid and dropped to the floor where I shattered into countless shards of sparkling ice. She fired attack after attack, most of the blows missing because of her frustration. I stepped closer, staring her down with my hard gaze. I could see her tremble in her nervousness as she cried out, "No matter what you do, you can't prevail! I won't allow it, Mirai! You know you're the same as you always were, alone and weak! You powerless, no matter where we are!"

I made the crystallized area around us fly past in a blur, replaced by a field of long blades of grass blowing like waves in the wind. The sky was dark, clouds swirled mystically around and thunder boomed out lyrics, —_All day starin' at the ceilin' makin' friends with shadows on my wall, all night__hearing__voices tellin' me that I should get some sleep because tomorrow might be good for somethin'. Hold on, feelin' like I'm headed for a breakdown and I don't know why…—_

I felt my sandy brown hair blow around my armor-concealed frame. "Doesn't mean that I can't try. And why not have throw little bit of uniqueness along with it? Isn't it nice here? This is where all of my dreams alway take me… It's almost like the setting of the stuff of legend; reminds me of when Slifer would be summoned onto the field on Yu-Gi-Oh. I believe the card reads 'The heavens twist and thunder roars, signaling the coming of this ancient creature of true power'; quite the picture it paints, no?" It almost amused me to relate this to a card game of my childhood, a subject that seemed so minor at the moment, so insignificant. But I hardly had time to worry about that.

Avaruusmon snarled at me a sound that sounded fully dragon-like. "I don't put it past you to relate this to something that is so unimportant. It's because you know it's the end, you want to have all the words before your time is up." Her voice suddenly lightened to a completely different note. "Although, your comparison meets its goal. Because you shall see true power as it tears you to pieces. No matter what you do, you're end will come. One way…or another."

—_I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell. I know, right now you can't tell but stay a while and maybe then you'll see a different side of me…—_

I closed my eyes and found myself nodding at her statement. "I know my time will come eventually. But not before I finish what I started here…" I turned my head onto a slight angle. "…I woke up today with anger, with such hatred. I couldn't stand the life I was living, thinking that everything that was happening was for the worse, that the world was against me. And you bringing me here has opened my eyes to the truth that has been before me this whole time. I made myself see this illusion, I made myself think wrongly of all those around me…"

—_I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired. I know, right now you don't care but soon enough you're gonna think of me and how I used to be, me…—_

"And it took me the longest time to realize I was wrong, that they _tried _to except my behavior, they _tried_ to accept the fact that maybe in the end I would dismiss their reasoning. Because this whole time, I had things dragging me down into doubt. And I've finally realized that they did want to try and make things better, they tried to understand me, and if I had actually let them in, they actually _would_ understand me, to extents that most people don't. I now realize I don't want to dwell in perpetual futility and foul emotion, and deep down under it all, under the façade that gives the impression that I just don't care about anything, I really didn't want to be that way. I've come to understand that everyone wants someone that truly gets who they are.

"And that person is called a friend.

"That brings me to the everything from the past till now. I can assuredly say that even though I haven't, through all the differences we've come to, Takuya has tried to be a friend and tried to see eye-to-eye with me. He's tried to understand the things I told him, the things I go through, and I know that I'm sometimes blind of the truth, but now I want to keep my eyes on one focus. I want everyone I love to be happy. They shouldn't have to suffer for my mistakes."

—_I'm talking to myself in public, dodging glances on the train, and I know, they've all been talkin' about me. I can hear them whisper and it makes me think there must be something wrong with me, out of all the hours thinkin', somehow I've lost my mind…—_

Avaruusmon remained motionless, giving me a hard look, trying to convince me otherwise of my words. She tried to use that deception that had always worked in the past, the things that I always used on myself, but this time, I didn't want to give ear. "But they deserve it, Mirai. You can remember, I know you can. You just aren't willing to harness the feelings that are deep in your heart. Let them go, let them be free. Only then, can you pertain the happiness that you truly desire."

—_I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell. I know, right now you can't tell but stay a while and maybe then you'll see a different side of me…—_

I held out my hands toward her. "It may take some time, but I know I'll become the friend I need to be. I know I can't be that person overnight, but a single journey begins with the single step. And I have to make up for all the wrong that I've done. There's things that just a simple sorry won't cover, things that I have to work to gain my forgiveness for. And I intend to do so." I felt my face instantly change into a small smile. "And you have to do the very same."

—_I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired. I know, right now you don't care but soon enough you're gonna think of me and how I used to be…—_

"I won't give up in all I believe in! You can't make me toss away everything that I know!" She formed an attack and launched it at me. I shook it off; it was all in frustration and fear, emotions that eventually drains all the light from you and leaves you with nothing. "All I know to be true, everything that keeps me going! You can't bring me to my knees, Mirai! You've become just like all the rest! You're no longer like me, you have no meaning, no bond with me any longer!"

—_I've been talkin' in my sleep. Pretty soon they'll come to get me, yeah, they're taking me away…—_

I approached her step by step. "And for that I'm glad. I'm glad I've found the light, I have seen what I need to pull away from your likeness. I've seen myself in you, and I've come to see that I had been wrong. Maybe you need to realize this yet. But maybe I can help you with this…"

—_I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell. I know, right now you can't tell but stay a while and maybe then you'll see a different side of me…—_

She yelled out. "Stay back from me!" And began ferociously firing attacks at me. But I kept treading forward. I had to keep going, shake off the pain and pull through. There were too many people relying on me now. Takuya, Koji, the other humans, Bokomon, Neemon; they all needed me. And in order for me to help them, I had to survive this. I had to put my hand in the bucket of icy cold water, hold under until my hand turned deep blue.

—_I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired. I know, right now you don't care but soon enough you're gonna think of me and how I used to be…—_

I got face-to-face with her, saying, "Words are meaningless without the feelings and actions behind them, words can only go so far when they're merely said. That's why I want to help you physically. And with all I've said, I've left you a simple choice…" I De-Digivolved to my human form and wrapped my arms around her into a tight embrace. "You can take your problems and run, or you can let a friend in and let them help you." She then too returned to the form that was identical to my own being. "It's all up to _you_."

—_How I used to be. Well, I'm just a little unwell. How I used to be, how I used to be. I'm just a little unwell…—_


	30. Chapter 28

**I have so many people I can thank now. After posting the last chapter, I got so many reviews from people that were so supportive. And I have to thank you all for that support. If it weren't for all of the people that continue to read and review this, I would've quit long ago and never came back. I shouldn't have let that single bad review get to me, because it caused me to let all of my readers down. So for that I am so sorry.**

**Anyway, getting down to business here, I must admit that I am so glad I'm almost done with the Sakkakumon chapters. I hate being so mean to my poor Taku, he doesn't deserve any of the crap I put him through here. Gomen nasai, Taku-kun!**

**Oh yes, and because of my ranting last chapter's author's note, I forgot to mention that I consider the song that was put in last chapter, Unwell by Matchbox 20, was the song that I found to be Mirai's theme up until her character development. After her little happy pill prescription so to say, her theme turns to One Day To Late by Skillet, which I'll put in later sometime. I found these songs to really match her, so I considered them her themes. And of course, that means that the song Wherever You Will Go by The Calling is Koji and Mirai's pairing theme.**

**Oddly enough, one of the main songs I listened to while writing this that really got me modivated was Someday by Nickelback. This song has nothing to do with this chapter at all whatsoever, so it kinda struck me as weird. **

**Enough of my babbling, I assume everyone just wants to get on with the chapter. So here is 28!

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Chapter 28

"You have to let go of this. Only then you will be put to rest, free from the hold Cherubimon has on you." I held her tight to me, not willing to let go despite her cries of protest. I felt tears flowing down my cheeks and I blinked them away from my eyes. This might be the end of all of this, this torment, this illusion that I and my darker self had been dwelling in was fading. Despite the pain that felt all over my body, it felt as though I was breathing with brand new lungs. I had things to live for now, meaning had found its way to me, and I just couldn't help but cry.

"I won't let you do this to me! Mirai! You know a much better side of life, why would you throw it all away for one person?" My double screeched, though making no effort to break from my grasp. It was almost as if her body knew better than the evil inside it; her body knew better than to struggle from a battle that she wasn't supposed to win. This was supposed to be a battle when I came out in top; this is a battle when we both got a victory. Both her and me.

I shook my head as I brought my arms up from against her back up to her hair. I automatically began to stroke it just as my mom had always done to me. "That's where you're wrong. I'm not changing for just one. There are many that I've realized care about me. And I can't just betray them as I did before. I love them too much to turn back to my ways of the past." It had been so long since I had admitting my love. For the longest time I thought myself incapable of this, since I hadn't been with love since my _nii-san's _death and I thought they deserved my hatred. But saying the mere word of love brought my being into this feeling of absolute warmth and light. "There are too many things too be happy for to be living in the emotions I felt when I was living in a self-conjured lie. I can't regret what has already happened that as has brought be to this moment. It has all been worth it."

—_How the time passed away? All the trouble that we gave and all those days we spent out by the lake. Has it all gone to waste? All the promises me made, one by one they vanish just the same…—_

"You can't possibly not regret all the things that have happened? You dismiss everything that Karin has done to you?" Her voice was almost quiet as she said this and it was then I noticed that her eyes were staring deep off into the distance, unblinking and in a hypnotized state. She was obviously immense thought, thinking hard of everything that we were currently discussing. She was me; she was hurt about the past, and it didn't help her when the bandage was removed and the wound was exposed.

I wanted to stare hard at her and make her stare back to show just what I felt about this now, how this has all changed for me now that I had seen this revelation. "Despite how much hurt I went through that day, how angry I was at the whole world, I can't help going back to those moments and thinking hard about the look on Takuya's face that I had just downright ignored. I should've believed him; I saw his innocence but was so caught up in all of my emotions, that I just let it pass by. And it didn't make things better, nothing seemed to make it better. When I was throwing rocks in the lake and screaming, it didn't help. I had cried my eyes out and it didn't do a thing. Maybe if I had faced up to the truth, it would've been better."

—_Of all the things I still remember summer's just never looked the same. Years go by and time just seems to fly, but the memories remain…—_

I continued before she could object to my words and wiped my eyes, "But as time has passed, I just never got over this and I can't find a good reason why I held all of that inside. Maybe because I had gotten so used to the anger I felt, I just needed a reason to continue holding it to me. I kept using the same things to justify my feelings because I was running out of things to remain mad at so it only forced me to bring them up again and again."

Her eyes clouded over as she pondered the words I had said. I knew she didn't accept them; it was against all emotion she was created to feel, so she _couldn't_ accept them. Cherubimon wouldn't allow such things to occur, things that could cause her to rebel against his chokehold he had on her. But I couldn't be certain of her natural, _free_ reaction to this. I couldn't even be sure of myself anymore. My thoughts, my actions, my reasoning, it was all a blur. "Homeliness? That's how to see that anger?" She suddenly flared up and shoved me away from her being, her eyes burning like a flame. "It is justified in so many ways that you can never understand now! We once saw eye-to-eye, but now I know you can never go back to the things you once knew!"

—_In the middle of September we'd still play out in the rain, nothing to lose but everything to gain. Reflecting now on how things could've been, it was worth it in the end…—_

"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned." I threw my arms down to my sides, the words seeping through my gritted teeth as if it was being forced between two layers of sandpaper. If she wasn't going to take my words and run, then she would just have to have them forced down her throat. "Consider how much more you often suffer from your anger and grief, than from those very things for which you are angry and grieved."

I saw her eyes change into a fiery red color, a crimson that matched blood. "You don't know how I feel! You have never grasped the feelings that always lived within us both, the feelings that you have used for your own needs for all this time! Just look at surrendering to this potential power has brought you down to! Can't you see what this has allowed me? So much is possible, if only you'd open your eyes and see what's in store for you!" She balled her fists and her nails dug into her palms, so hard that her hands were shaking.

"You have to open your own eyes and see just how wrong you are!" I countered quickly. "You don't know how good it feels to be relieved of something that I had to live with for years! All this time, when I had been angry, I thought it was like a morale booster, like some sort of steroid that gave me power, but now I realize it was like a cloud over my head! I was always on my guard, over-sensitive; it always took me only a single wrong move to knock me off the edge. Do you really want to live like that?"

—_Now it all seems so clear there is nothing left to fear, so we made our way by finding what was real. Now the days are so long that summer's moving on. We reach for something that's already gone…—_

She suddenly ran at me and tackled me to the ground, pinning me down on my back and staring down at me with her face mere inches from mine. "_This_ is what happens when you aren't prepared! You're taken advantage of when you least expect it! And it leaves you immobile, unable for a reaction except for a split-second to regret every single move you've made. _This_ is what Takuya did to me!" _What is that look in her eyes? …Is she…crying?_

I gazed back up into her deep eyes. They held so much emotion. So much anger, so much hatred. So much hurt. "I don't regret everything that has happened between me and him. Time and time again, even through the times I thought I'd never forgive him, I looked back to all of the memories I cherished of us, I'd go through that shoebox full of the photos of the moments we shared." It warmed my heart to think back at all of the different pictures in the box, how many times I found myself smiling in his arms. "Think about all those warm summer nights we'd stare out at the stars; those times we'd gaze out on the lake…and I'd put my head on his shoulder, he'd pull me close and warm me with his touch; those times we'd just sit around listening to music, talking about all the little things in life. What about those days we'd—" She cut me off quickly, before I could say anymore.

She grabbed onto my shoulders with a grasp of steel. "Shut up! Shut up now!" she shrieked, shoving my upper body off the ground and slammed it back down again, over and over again, each time I banged my head against the hard dirt. Tears streamed down her face, dropping down onto mine. Her tears were cold, ice cold. "I don't want to remember those memories! They are dead to me now, Cherubimon promised I'd be free from them if I complied to his every command!"

—_Of all the things I still remember summer's just never looked the same. Years go by and time just seems to fly, but the memories remain…—_

I felt my eyes automatically widen at this realization. Just because she was Cherubimon's creation, she was still created from me, a human, and that gave her a free will. She _wanted_ to forget all of that; that was what she was promised for her obedience. Relief from the only positive memories she had that would prevent her from eliminating Takuya. She wanted the anger to dominate, she wanted to be able to get rid of him without any guilt plaguing her afterwards. "Liars are always ready to take oaths," I retaliated quietly, thinking hard of the words she had just said; they were echoing in my ears. "You can't believe his words. Evil will do anything to make you fall away, tempt you with the things that you desire most. Think of the fate that Grumblemon has suffered; do you want to be just like him? You're just a tool to Cherubimon; he only formed you because he didn't want to get his own _oshiri _onto the battlefield for the chance he could be overcome by all those who are against him. Do you really want to make that sacrifice for a lie? For a false hope? Only you can remove the pain you feel, and to do that, you have to allow yourself to remove it." I noticed she had freed one of my arms and I reached up and tucked hair behind her ear, trying to give her comfort in this mental struggle. "You can't make others solve your problems for you, you can't expect them to solve themselves. You must believe it is possible to solve your problem. Tremendous things will happen to the believer. So believe the answer will come. It will."

She opened her mouth and for a moment, no words came out. Her eyes stared wide, unblinking and moving. She seemed to be looking directly into my own eyes, but it appeared to be even more than that, like she was looking through into some space beyond me and beyond the ground under me. She was deep in thought, pondering, wondering, questioning. Finally, words escaped her lips, quiet like the sound of the breath of an angel. "…Maybe…Maybe…"

—_In the middle of September we'd still play out in the rain, nothing to lose but everything to gain. Reflecting now on how things could've been, it was worth it in the end…—_

At that second, she leapt up to her feet, her hands clutching her head. A strange aura surrounded her like a flame in colors of blacks, blues, and purples, making her cry out an ear-piercing, inhuman screech that reverberated throughout the whole area like nails on a chalkboard. "My dear Lord Cherubimon, have mercy on my soul!" she wailed, squeezing her eyes shut behind her eyelids and directing her head up towards the heavens as if asking God to strike her down at that very moment.

It suddenly became eerily cold, so cold that the whole land grew darker and I could instantly see my breath in the air. A voice echoed in the wind, a voice that I instantly recognized from the nights in the Digital World when I refused to close my eyes with the rest of the Legendary Warriors. "_Young Warrior, you don't trust my words? You dare rebel from the hold you sworn you would remain under? This act, I'm afraid, Warrior of Space, cannot go unpunished…"_ A pair of crimson eyes appeared over my copy, glaring over the scene, and she was instantly thrust into even more intense pain, throwing her down to her knees.

"She has obeyed your every command, Cherubimon!" I pulled myself onto my toes into a crouch, holding myself steady with my hands. My head was throbbing from the beating my double had done to me. "Despite the fact that I'm against her, there's no reason for you to punish her for something she didn't even do!" I narrowed my eyes at the pair of eyes while mentally trying to picture what his true form actually looked like. "It's just so wrong!"

He snickered at my words and I could instantly imagine a crude smile coming upon his face, the face that I imagined him to have. "_You're one to talk, Warrior of Time. I find you to be the most corrupt of all of the humans here, yet you turn against your own meaning. It's almost pathetic, in a way. You're too quick to change your opinions, even after having them for so long."_ His eyes made the motion like he was shaking his head. "_And I've seen this dark version of you to be the same way. She had her instantaneous doubt, and I can't have any rebellions from my Warriors. And such rebellion deserves discipline…"_

The flame of color flickered before bursting into a large orb and made my duplicate scream in agony. She dug her fingers into her scalp and her hair felt limp in her face, held in place by the sweat and tears that wetted her face like the morning dew. "Make it stop! Make it STOP!" she screamed out, begging for compassion from her master. The twisted look on her face made it seem like he was splitting every molecule in her body apart all at once with a machete dipped in blood. "Lord Cherubimon, forgive me my fears and ease my pain!"

—_We knew we had to leave this town, but we never knew when and we never knew how we would end up the way we are. Yeah, we knew we had to leave this town, but we never knew when and we never knew how…—_

I could hear Cherubimon's breathing. "_I'm afraid that I cannot grant, my Warrior. This is the end; your Data will be used for more worthy purposes than what you have done all of the time you have had breath. But I believe this must be done in the hand of your enemies."_ His eyes adjusted to look at me. "_I will have this Data returned to me... One way or another."_

I kept my mouth a straight line as I stared at his eyes, feeling the evil radiating out and touching my skin like countless little needles pricking me. Maybe I would've loved that feeling if I were the way I used to, but not now. Now it just hurt, like touching your finger to hot coals. Doing it once makes you learn your lesson. "I'll never join you. This I vow here and now. I'm against everything you hold as good now. You can just try and rip my Spirit from my _dead_, clenched fist!"

Cherubimon chuckled at my challenge. "_If it will be that way, it will suffice adequately. All will fall into place as I command, and maybe you'll see that before it's too late, Mirai."_ I stared stone-faced as the eyes faded into clouds of fog and disappeared completely. But his voice then echoed in the wind, "_I'll be waiting for you…"_

—_Of all the things I still remember summer's just never looked the same. Years go by and time just seems to fly, but the memories remain…—_

I turned my attention to my counterfeit, who was crumbled on the ground, trembling and sobbing quietly. She cocked her head to look up at me; her body was mangled into an inhuman position as I walked over to her, standing just inches before her form, and she made out the words, "…You don't have the courage…"

I looked down at her with a look of distain put upon my lips. "I actually wish I didn't," I admitted softly. "I wanted any of this…" I grabbed her hands and helped her to her feet. I held her tight against me, my arms around her in a final embrace. I could still feel her anger wafting off her being; she had hardly changed at all, only the weakness of injury preventing her to show this in words and in physical struggle. "But I'm sorry, I have no choice. There are no other options…" I moved my hand from on her back to the open air, my mind creating a sharp dagger in my grasp. I blinked back my tears and whispered, "_Gomen nasai… Mirai-chan…"_

Taking a quick breath, I braced myself. Then I plunged the dagger into her back.

She didn't scream; she had not the strength. Instead, a small croaking noise came from down in the bottom of her throat, she closed her eyes, and breathed her last. Her body became limp in my arms and blood began to leak from the wound and stain her clothing. I placed her upon the ground and I felt the tears fall onto from my cheeks onto her lifeless body. My enemy was now dead; I destroyed that evil within myself. It became deathly silent, aside from those final lyrics playing out in the wind…

—_In the middle of September we'd still play out in the rain, nothing to lose but everything to gain. Reflecting now on how things could've been, it was worth it in the end…—

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—Third Person Narration—

It had been minutes now and Ryoushinmon hadn't moved a single inch; she was like a stone statue that was put upon a deep, dark curse that put her in such a state. She didn't blink, she didn't breathe, she didn't do anything that gave any signs of life. Her hair didn't even blow in the wind like it had all the while before, as if the wind simply didn't affect her being anymore for some mysterious, unknown reason that was only applicable to the dimensions within the Beast of Steel. It was as if time had completely frozen upon the Polymerization Spirit.

Takuya's Digimon conscience told him the threat of danger was gone and he De-Digivolved back into his human state. But just because the feeling that destruction was imminent was gone, it still puzzled him. For that single moment when he was about to lose his life by Ryoushinmon's sword, she had stopped and cast the sword down beside her. He instantly knew that Mirai had momentarily taken over possession of her body. But after that moment, that's when the Warrior became unresponsive, like she was trapped inside her own mind and closed off from the world around her, some sort of coma-like state. Takuya still had his worries, but now he just wasn't sure what to think anymore.

He looked down at his D-Tector. He didn't have a commission with anyone to get an opinion; it was only him and him alone now. He then peered up at Ryoushinmon's figure again. "Man, none of this makes any sense anymore," he mumbled, only for him to mentally add, _Assuming that it had made any sense at all before._ But then his attention was suddenly caught as his eyes trailed over to the Warrior of Space and Time's hair. It was blowing in the breeze. "Mirai…?" He grasped his D-Tector in his hand, on his guard for any possible danger. As this point, anything could happen. The Warrior could easily be either good or evil. It was as simple as the toss of a coin.

Ryoushinmon's flingers flexed and her head turned up and looked straight forward at the world laid out before her eyes. Takuya thought for sure he heard her mumble, "_Kuso…_" She De-Spirit Evolved and her human form appeared, battered, bruised, and just not in a very good state overall. Cuts covered her arms and face and just about everywhere else that she had exposed skin, her hair was mangled in every direction that it pleased, and her clothes were wrinkled and hung loosely on her frame that seemed smaller when in that condition. And by the look in her eyes, he could tell that she had a pounding headache. "Taky…" She smiled weakly and looked into his brown eyes, tears forming in her own violet orbs from merely looking at his face without any feelings of anger or hatred dwelling within her.

He smiled back in the same, sweet way as he took in the alluringly warm feeling that filled his being at that single word that was directed to him. It brought so many memories back, before any of this Digital World crap was even close to occurring, a time that was so much happier. "You don't know how long I've waited for you to call me that again…" He looked her up and down at all of her injuries, finally asking the question that had been plaguing him for the last while. "Is she gone?"

Mirai nodded slowly, her smile growing slightly as she answered his question. "I think we got 'er pretty good, don't you?" She then closed her eyes and toppled forward, only barely caught by the Warrior of Flame. Now unconscious, her breathing was easy and quiet, each breath blowing a little strand of hair that had made its way onto her face. For the longest time, her dreams would be clear and free of the anger and angst she felt for so long.

Holding her in his arms, Takuya mused with himself with the smallest amount of amusement, "Well, this hasn't happened in a while." He looked up and noticed two of the all-so familiar eyeballs; one, he saw, held the passage out of Sakkakumon, and the other, went into some other place inside the Beast of Steel. He had no hesitation; he knew what he had to do. There was no doubt in his mind that he had to fight Mercurymon and take his Spirit; this might've been his only remaining chance to do so. If he didn't do anything then, things might become worse than they already were. Even more people may get hurt if he stood by and did nothing.

He placed his arm under her knees in order to lift her up, and supporting her back with his remaining hand, her head leaned up against his shoulder in a way that he could feel her breath on his neck, he walked over to the portal that lead to the outside world and sent her through it, watching the eye change to static and her form disappearing, momentarily feeling like he should've gone, too, just so he wouldn't have to face the facts he already knew. He then turned and gazed at the remaining eye that seemed to be staring at him, calling out for a good challenge to the very death. He nodded to himself assuredly and found his feet already beginning to move without his consent.

He stepped over to it and put his arm in, giving one last moment of thought and pulling out his D-Tector once again. He knew this was his job here and the reason that he was the last human remaining within Sakkakumon. This was his mission, just as it was Koji's mission to deal with Duskmon. There was no turning back; the portal out was already gone, and now he was left with the only option of going forward and facing this new obstacle head-on, just as he had faced all of the once prior.

Then, tossing those thoughts to the back of his mind, deciding that now wasn't the best time to contemplate the very thing he had to be doing at that very moment (bringing him back to what he always said, 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained'), the rest of his body followed obediently behind his arm and he went in the portal to find his next opponent, mumbling to himself while doing so, his face curved into a determined expression that carried the hopes of all the Warriors that were behind him, "Well, this is it, Takuya…This is where Mercurymon meets his Maker..."

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—Mirai's POV—

_It's so cold; it's so dark. There's nothing here…I'm not dead, am I? No, that can't be it, I feel like I've been here before, and yet…it's changed. This is how my dreams always ended, in desolate darkness. It's like when one of my nightmares just ended. But that just can't be right. I didn't have any dreams, no nightmares, nothing. But this can't be reality, either. It must be an outskirt of my mind, a place I never go. Hmm… but there's something alluring about this place; I need to stay a little longer; I can't wake up just yet. I need to think about some things first._

_It's almost like miracle. Avaruusmon is finally gone. It hurt to let her go, but I know things wouldn't have gotten better before they got even worse. I had to stop things before someone else got hurt. I don't think I can forgive myself for the damage I've already done. To my family, my friends… to Koji. I've done so many wrongs, why do they still forgive me for everything? I don't have any reasons for forgiveness, yet they've always stuck by me. Maybe it's what Koichi always reminded me of. Forgive and forget._

_But I've never did a good job with that myself. After all I've done, I never had any right to remember all the trespasses that others have done against me, and yet…I was so caught up on my foul emotions, my anger, my hatred…they always prevented me from seeing what I should've, what my _nii-san_ had always tried to teach me. Yet even then, my ignorance and self-involvement made me blind of the realization that I should learn from those around me. Why was I just so twisted? What made me like this?_

…_Maybe it's the hurt that I kept up inside. All these relationship difficulties that I stored up inside me just built up and made me snap into an incurable state. But does that mean that I'll still be like this even after I wake up? Will I always hold grudges against others, will I always snap under pressure, will I always hold differences against others and believe it's their fault? No, I don't believe so. I've come too far to go back to the way I was once before. This has made me a better person._

_Maybe that's what Sakkakumon's role is here in the Digital World. It's original purpose before it had been reborn for evil purposes was to make people realize their faults, get over the things that plague them, and in the end, make them a better person. I think it's helped me; otherwise, I'd still be that aggravated mess that I had been before, I wouldn't be the person to even think about this now, I'd still be too blind and I'd be believing any of the things I've thinking about at this very moment._

_I know I'm gonna be a better person now. I've realized too much to go back to my ways. When I saw myself put before me in the form created by Cherubimon, I saw myself in a whole new a light, a light I didn't like. At first I couldn't believe she was completely based off of me, I thought that Cherubimon had mangled with her personality. But deep down, I knew she was all and the same as I was. I can't hide from that truth; when I was put in the shoes of others and saw how they saw me, I was almost scared of myself. I don't know why I was like that, I had no good reason to be so angry and always ready to pick fights with others who seemed so unappealing on the outside. They were probably better than I ever was._

_But now I gotta do something about the way I've been acting; I have to strive to be better than I have ever been. No more hiding from my problems, no putting them upon others. I have to deal with them head-on and never back down. I have to help the ones I care about, not heed them. They've done the same for me, and I have to try to pay them back for that constant love and patience they've shown me. I have to work hard to do so, but now I'm willing. I don't care about myself anymore, my own being seems so insignificant now compared to everyone else's. My own issues seemed to tower over me, but now, the field is leveled, everything doesn't seem so large, so much more important than the happiness of everyone I love._

_Those words seem so sweet now. I like the way they sound, like a little drop of honey on my tongue, like a little sugary treat. They just make everything seem so much brighter; they give me so much happiness when they echo in my ears. Before I believed them to be words given for excuses, yet since then, I've found them to be rather warming. Hearing them makes me feel like I'm sitting in front of the fireplace bundled in blankets with hot chocolate, just perfect bliss that I'd never wish to change. Such beautiful words…_

_I love you._

_Now that I think, I can't begin to state all the things I love in life now, all of those people I've come to care for. I've hidden from those feelings in the past, but now I just don't understand why. Who would want to flee from this feeling? Who wouldn't like the touch of affection brought by the mutual emotions of caring for others? Why didn't I want to feel that before? What I just that closed off that it just made me hurt all the more? I'm not even certain of my reasoning anymore._

_But I'm absolutely all right with this. I don't care about my past feelings; they're of no use to me anymore. I'm not going to harbor within them any longer, not in the perpetual anger and loneliness that I once had. I can't find a reason why I'd want to go back there to that state; it just doesn't make all that much sense to me now. I guess that once you realize there's no reason to be afraid of the dark, you're no longer able to see why you were scared in the first place. All you could know was that it was time to put away the nightlight and live within the night as it was created on the first days, only lighted by the moon and stars, no man-made light, no man-made fears._

_I have to take life as it is. I can make it better with my own hands if I desire, I'm the creator of my own future, my own destiny. I can write the pages of my own life, I just have to pick up the pen and begin to write my thoughts upon the paper. What I want, I have to reach for with my own two hands, I have to just outstretch my fingers toward it. Maybe it won't fall into my hands like everyone would wish for their desires, but I'll work to receive it. I have my right to the pursuit of happiness and to help others achieve theirs. And I'll work for it._

_I guess this is as good as it's gonna get. I was never truly happy before now, and now I've had a little taste of what life is really like, a little taste of my own medicine. I've learned what it was like to see myself in my peer's shoes, how hard I was to deal with and how overly stubborn I was. So from this moment on I have to make a solemn vow. A vow that I can never go back on. A vow that I've needed to make a long time ago and is now long overdue…_

_I swear to protect the ones I love, to protect them even if it threatens my own happiness. I swear to never hold against others my own anger and emotions, to forgive all wrongs done me and forget the sin's entire existence. I swear to pay back all those who have done good to me, but never replayed the deed. No matter what, I'll do whatever I can to return all favors done me, I have to for my justification. I swear to find worthiness in my life, so I can finally sleep soundly in knowing I deserve all the blessings I have in life._

_I swear to make a change…_

I opened my eyes slowly and instantly felt the pain from all of the injuries I had sustain come back to me all at once. My eyelids fluttered as my eyes adjusted to the dark sky of the Dark Continent and I suddenly became aware of the temperature of the area. I flexed my fingers and gathered dirt up into my palm, releasing it and gathering it again. It felt so strange to have control of my own body again; I had to get used to the feel of flesh, bone, and muscle again.

I noticed then I had my head placed upon something soft, and the smallest turn of my head and eyes made me see that it was Tommy's puffy hat. And then looking down after feeling that I had a small, extra layer upon me, I saw Zoe's sleeveless jacket put on over my tank top. Tossing my head to the side and groaning, trying to get back asleep for rest, I caught whiff of something. And sure enough, sitting right beside my head was a pile of a couple chocolate bars. The generosity of the other Warriors, despite all that I had done, made me crack a smile.

At that moment, I noticed that Tommy had been keeping watch over me the entire time, sitting right at my side peering at me with a surprised expression on his face. And when I had first opened my eyes and moved, he leapt to his feet and shouted to the others, running out of my field of vision in a single instant, "Hey guys, Mirai's awake!" I immediately found myself thinking, _He's a really cute little boy under that big, puffy marshmallow hat…_

The rest of the humans, Bokomon, and Neemon ran over to me. They all began asking me questions and saying things all at once, so much so that their words all jumbled together into one big mess of voices. It made me notice the big headache that was making my head throb and was making the world spin out of orbit. Each thought to cross my mind made me cringe and I lifted my hand to put pressure on my forehead in attempt to decrease the pain. _I guess that big mental battles give you big mental pains…_

I heard my voice crack when I tried to get out words, and heard that they were much quieter than I'd anticipated they'd be. "Guys, guys. Just…" I placed my index finger vertically over my mouth, smiling slightly at them all, "Shhh…" I had thought about saying 'shut up' to them, but just the fact of making my lips move more than they needed to was unappealing to me currently. There wasn't anything I wanted more than to be back home, everything normal, and sleeping in my own bed, in my own bedroom, in my own home, in my own world. The thought made me sort of homesick suddenly.

Zoe crouched down next to me, her face in a frown that in its own questioned if I felt at all better than I had before. "Do you need anything?" she questioned, feeling my forehead for a fever and looking into my eyes for dilation or if they were bloodshot. She lightly pinched part of my skin on the back of my hand to check for dehydration. She nodded to herself after doing all of these minimal checks and looked at me for a response on my part.

I groaned, letting out a small chuckle. "I'm guessing a vacation isn't one of the options." Joking aside after she giggled at my response, I replied quietly, "I manage for myself; no more room to bother." I staggered to my feet, the world beginning to accelerate its speed of rotation as I did so, and I fell back onto one knee, trying to stop the spinning by holding my head in my hands and squeezing my eyes shut. I took a few breaths to stabilize that momentarily panic that arose.

Bokomon took this as his chance to speak about my wellbeing. "My dear girl, you shouldn't be doing much looking like that—"_ Yeah, thanks for the compliment, Bokomon._ "—so if you need anything, you can come to me." He looked over at Tommy and JP, who seemed to not even be focused on anything that the wise Digimon was saying. "Now, you boys, fetch Mirai some water. Chop, chop!" He clapped his paws together and sent the two male Warriors on their way.

It was then I realized Koji wasn't around. _Where is he?_ "Bokomon, where is Koji?" I asked urgently, trying to get up onto my toes to find him, but prevented by the seemingly-maximized power of gravity upon me that dragged me back down with a twinge of pain shooting up my legs and the dizziness returning to me in one single instant. "Is he all right? You have to tell me, Bokomon!" It hurt my voice to speak so strongly, but it surprised even myself that my voice escaped my lips so quickly.

"I'm afraid he isn't here. No one is completely certain of his location. He fought Duskmon and they both were cast from Sakkakumon to a different part of the Dark Continent. I'm sorry, but we just can't be sure of his condition right now." Bokomon shook his head glumly, making sure not to make any eye contact with me as he said any of this for the chance that I may have a sort of panic attack and exert my fear upon him in some irrational way.

Zoe gave me the smallest of smiles. "You don't have to worry about Koji. If anyone can survive here on their own, it's him. He's alive and well, I promise you." I had never realized how much comfort her words could bring me. It almost brought tears to my eyes in the realization that someone was here for me and here to comfort me. I never knew I could put my trust in Zoe of all people, the one I had the least patience with ever since I had arrived here.

I gave a smile back, but only a fraction of the one that she had given me, since it pained me a bit to move my mouth after my Koji-exclamations. "Thanks." It naturally surprised me that I actually meant my words, that I could speak so honestly now. Just the whole event of being in Sakkakumon made me naturally a better person, I could be more open to Zoe than I had ever been since I arrived here and with minimal effort. This realization almost excited me; it made my heart race with anticipation.

In a few minutes, JP and Tommy returned, nothing in hand, looking like they didn't go all that far, and immediately JP rubbed the back of his hand and said sheepishly, "Uh, Bokomon, we found water but we, uh…" He contemplated how to word his excuse. "But we don't have any way of getting any. Heh heh…" He and Tommy braced himself for the white Digimon to let all of hell loose because of their lack of creativity in making excuses.

I decided to cut in quietly; I didn't want them to have to spend time to carve out a cup to hold water from a chunk of wood or something. I just wasn't that important that they had to go through all that trouble. It'd be still another thing I'd have to pay them back for. "Guys, it's not a problem. I'm really not that thir—" Either Bokomon suddenly took a huge shine to me or he just really liked to boss the two humans around. I assumed the latter when he had cut me off so abruptly.

"I'm sure you two can come up with something. Neemon, don't just stand there, help them out." Bokomon tried to cross his arms, but the DigiEgg in his waistband created too big of a bulge for him to get his arms around. "The girl needs water." _I have a name._

And just the direction of words to Neemon made the yellow rabbit with the red pants say something overly dumb and relative to the most random things. Made me wonder just how Bokomon put up with him for so long without completely snapping because of his rather blunt responses and overall stupidity. Maybe deep down under that bunny-ness, there is a scholar. "But Bokomon, I'm not standing, I'm sitting!" he answered back, plopping his butt down on the ground right before he said this. "See?"

I chuckled at his attempt of trying to get out of doing work and tried again to get to my feet. "Guys, I can get it myself. You don't have to worry about me." I tried to ignore how much my body was screaming at me and the lightheadedness that came over me that caused my eyes to seem to make my vision shaky and unstable, but found myself staggering back down. _No, can't give up. Walk it off, you have to walk this pain off, like you have in the past…_

I suddenly felt a shock of pain erupt from my knees and began to collapse back down, but before I could do so, I instantly became aware of the touch of others. I glanced to my left and right. The three Warriors had all grabbed onto me before I fell to hold me steady. They all gave me determined grins that told me that they weren't gonna let me go about this on my own despite my protests and no matter how much I desired to do so. "You guys are gonna make me go soft…" I mumbled just loud enough that I could be certain that they were able to hear me.

"All the better for us," JP retorted back, giving me a taunting expression.

Despite the fact that it was sarcasm that he was using, I knew it to be true. Everyone was better off if I became a nicer being, if I, as I had stated, would go soft. Maybe things will take a turn for the better if I took my time to make this necessary change; it may even benefit the entire Digital World's fate. I'll have more willingness to fight, more reason to stand firm against Cherubimon and his minions. I have motivation to do exactly what I need to as a Legendary Warrior.

The Legendary Warrior I haven't been fulfilling the role of.

They helped me get over to the small pool of water that Tommy and JP found earlier, I didn't refuse their assistance since I knew it wasn't much use to decline a favor that was for me, a fellow DigiDestined. They slowly eased me down onto my knees at the water's edge and I sat there in that position for a few short moments to catch my breath. I found that that short walk that it took to get over here was exhausting after sustaining all of the injuries that I possessed. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that they were helping me through the normal motions of life, maybe I really needed their help after all. But that only meant I had more to pay them back for.

I leaned over the pool and made a cup with my hand, holding my form steady with my free one. I dipped my curved fingers in, and feeling the refreshingly cold water on my wounds, I paused just to feel the healing on my hand take place from the pure, clean spring water. I then brought my hand up and sipped that touch of cool heaven from it, feeling instantly replenished from that small quantity. But a part of me craved more. It was just so pleasurable; so addictive, so perfect. It brought me one single opportunity that I felt I just couldn't pass up.

I lifted my arm that was holding me steady on the ground and allowed my whole being plummet into the pool. At first it felt slightly cold, giving me a small nip of welcome, but then it unraveled into this blissful sensation of warmth, like the kiss of an angel. I felt all of my pains ease away like they were stripped off like an article of clothing, just melt away gently. When the water flowed over my cuts and bruises, their sting just faded away, and I closed my eyes to let the aqua encase me like a cocoon. It felt like a slice of perfection as the water glided over my skin and through my hair, and I let my body surrender and limply fall subject to the tide that flowed all around me.

My thoughts seemed to just seep out of my mind and it became clear and empty. My headache faded from that first little sip and now it felt like I had just awaked from a good night's sleep and the most delightfully beautiful dream. I opened my mouth only slightly and let the sweet liquid touch my tongue and run down my throat, tasting like that of the sweetest honey. It was like an Arctic chill, like the icicles I used to suck on as a little child in winter. It came directly from the spring, a precious gift from Mother Nature herself.

I drifted upward and broke the surface of the pool, breathing in the air of the Digital World. "_Kore ga tengokudesu…_" I whispered to the wind, wishing that I never had to leave this beautiful place, this diamond in the rough of the Dark Continent. It was no less than perfection in a world of so many flaws, so much evil and corruption. "_Kami kara tsukawasa…_"

"Mirai, what on earth are you doing?" I opened my eyes to a slightly annoyed Bokomon staring me down, a silent request to get out of the water and do something productive. It was as if he didn't remember that he had wanted me to get water into my system.

And a question like that only deserves a Neemon answer. "Looks like she's taking a bath!" SNAP! "Ouchies!"

I found the strength now within my enmity to bow my head and answer him, "_Gomen nasai_. But it just looked so tempting." I pulled myself out of the water and then onto my feet without a single problem like I had previously. "It's renewed all of my strength and helped my injuries…" I reached down to wring out the water from my shirt (and Zoe's, of which I had forgotten I was wearing still), but noticed that my clothing and shoes weren't even wet. Like the water was enchanted of some sort. "Hmm, that's strange…"

Tommy piped up at this particular moment in time, voicing his suspicions out loud for discussion, "Bokomon, do you think this is some sort of magic pool? Like it was created for healing and stuff?" That was probably what everyone else was thinking about as well, since everyone else turned to see the informational Digimon give his response, of which we all expected held the knowledge of the creation of places just like this one or something like that.

"That I'm not certain of, I'm afraid." Bokomon proceeded to pull out his all-so famous green book and began to page rapidly through it for any information on this paradise. He then slammed the book shut, answering at the same time, "The book doesn't have anything, either. And that means that I can be the first one to record it! What shall we call this beautiful oasis?" He suddenly seemed super eager to name something that might not have ever been discovered until this moment that he was willing to accept suggestions.

Neemon raised his hand and began to jump up and down with excitement. "Ooh! Ooh!" We dared to turn around and look at him in cuing for him to give his idea for a name. That should've rang a million sirens that shouted out 'Mistake!'. "We should call it Neemon Lake! Woohoo!"

Zoe ignored the rather annoying bunny and suggested, "I got one. Even though JP and Tommy found the pool, Mirai's the one that found its effects, we should call it '_Mirai No Iyashi No Mizu_'—The Healing Water of Future." She smiled at me as my face turned red with embarrassment from her words. It touched me that she would put into consideration what the water has done for me, so much that she'd want to put my own name in it. I didn't deserve that, either.

I was quick to object to her suggestion, since it was way too embarrassing for my own liking, "No, please don't do that. I don't want to take glory for this, I really don't want to be known for something I don't even deserve, guys…" I waved my hands in front of me, making the gesture of 'no need, no need'. "It's really not necessary…"

Bokomon shook his head at my excuses. "You've shown much development of maturity, and the name is sort of fitting, isn't it? It's only proper, my dear girl! Now get with the program and see how perfect of a name it is!" _Oh God, oh God, oh God…Don't do this to me now… _"I'm writing it down in the book and that's that."

I groaned, hiding my slight pleasure in having a place named after me, despite the surrounding area being tainted with darkness, it was really sort of a heart-warming feeling that flew up from my toes up to my head onto the very tips of my hair. "…Fine. But don't ever mention it to me again ever." I began to walk away when a thought came to my mind, a thought that made that warmth disperse and become replaced with nervousness and instant worry. "Hey…" I turned back toward the group, not completely eager to ask my new question. "Is Takuya still in Sakkakumon?"

These thoughts echoed in my mind as soon as they left my lips. _Is Takuya still in Sakkakumon?...Is Takuya still in Sakkakumon?..._ The answer almost scared me. He risked his entire existence in order to protect me and save me from myself, and I had forgotten of him. What if he was injured? Or worse? It'd be my fault for causing him so much trouble; he had done far too much for me, he should've just left me for dead. At least then he'd be alright and safe here with the rest of the Legendary Warriors. Who knows what had already happened to him while my mind was away from him?

Before anyone opened their mouths to answer my demand, I was running back to the Warrior of Steel. I had to get in there, I had to help him before Mercurymon destroys him. I knew my worries were getting the best of me now, but there were still those chances that fell overhead like a dark cloud that he might not return to the group. I had left him before and I wasn't about to do it again, I wouldn't allow myself to do such a sin against him.

I stopped abruptly when I returned to the place I had awoke earlier, gazing up at the great Beast of many dimensions. I balled my fists and found myself glaring up at it, as if it would somehow do damage, and panted from how quickly I had taken off. "Takuya…" I could see through the outside walls of the green orbs of Sakkakumon into the inside and saw the on-going battle between Agunimon and Mercurymon. They were in a dimension of countless mirrors and reflective crystals, probably a place of the Warrior of Steel's own design.

Mercurymon was taunting Takuya, appearing in mirror after mirror, making him lose his temper and shatter each and every one that the mirror Digimon appeared within. I could see Agunimon's obvious frustration; this was all a game that he was trapped within and he was playing the role intended him. It kept bringing me back to the same haunting question again and again, making me all the more anxious and uptight: Will Takuya win the game?

I hadn't noticed when the others had gotten over here but I was soon made aware of their presence around me as I heard JP ask Zoe if she was all right and her answering, "I'm just wondering if we can get in there and help Takuya. And if he'll ever make it out without us…" When I averted my gaze to look at her, she was staring down at her shoes in the wonderings that she had voiced. She bit her lip and I could tell that it was because her mind came to the worst of situations.

It made me realize she was worried about the same thing that I was. I didn't—and I couldn't—doubt Takuya's strength, it was just that Mercurymon had a substantial amount of cunning that did more than match the other evil Legendary Warriors, so then he might underestimate him. And just that fact may make things much more difficult than the situation really was. And it also made it the most nerve-racking factor in this entire battle.

"That's the exact reason why we can't stand by and do nothing, Zoe," I answered back suddenly, turning my attention back to the battle shown up on the surface of one single sphere of Sakkakumon's body. I tightened the muscles on my face into a hard stare as if my look could strike Mercurymon down. And despite the fact that I knew for certain that it had no chance of being able to do so, I continued to wish above all things that it could. "We can't take that chance. He shouldn't have to face Mercurymon on his own. We're Legendary Warriors too; he shouldn't be the only one to have to fight. And he risked his _oshiri_ for all of us at least a dozen times since we've gotten here, so we shouldn't just sit on our hands and think that there's nothing we can do about the fate of this battle."

I suddenly caught some of the gloating words of the Warrior of Steel, able to hear them as if he was right here with us. "…My knowledge would fill a book. And of course, chapter one would begin with an attention-catching surprise like this..." He disappeared and then appeared behind Agunimon, striking the Warrior of Flame with a closed fist in the jaw. "Thou couldst not ever hope to move with such speed. Thou art doomed to failure before thou even begin."

Agunimon recovered quickly from the sneak attack and veered around, but Mercurymon's form had already disappeared. "Come on, Mercurymon! You know you can't defeat me, so you use illusions and tricks to try to even up the score. Why don't you just come out and fight like a true Legendary Warrior?" he snapped, his eyes darting everywhere to find his opponent within the reflective shards, obelisks, and mirrors, but seemingly not having any avail with the matter.

"Thou is one to talk," Mercurymon stood before a tall mirror, his back up against it. His red lips were curved up into a devious smirk; he knew exactly how to handle all of this, this whole battle with Agunimon, he knew just what to do. I didn't doubt that newly arisen suspicion I had; he was probably the most intelligent of all those under Cherubimon. That's why he was the last mon standing. "You are a coward; thou uses demands and taunts to get thee to fight. Such motives and tactics prove to be weak and useless, just as thou be."

Agunimon gritted his teeth at his enemy's words and charged at him with a balled fist. But Mercurymon disappeared through the surface of the mirror, somehow bending the molecular structure of it and allowed himself to get through it, causing the Warrior of Flame to punch the mirror, cracking the place where his fist made contact and causing him to wince slightly at the self-infliction that was given him because of the evil Warrior's ability to go through reflective surfaces.

His devious voice echoed throughout the entire dimension, a loud cackle that showed just how confident he was. "I see that we've reached chapter two, about the futility of sparring with me in my own world. Here, I can move with ease from any polished surface to another. I can dodge thy punches, strike without warning. Look around thyself, I can be anywhere!" I saw his reflection appear behind Agunimon. "Even right behind thee…"

He spun around with his fist clenched and threw it at the crystallized obelisk, and it shattered into millions of shards that glistened in the strange lighting of this dimension. He frowned at his second miss, growing annoyed with the strategy being used against him. He hadn't found a single way to counteract it yet, I could see. He was so used to those straightforward tactics of combat. "Quit cheating! Be the Warrior you were created to be and fight me man-to-man!"

Mercurymon again let out an ear-piercing laugh in accordance with the demands given him. It was all foolishness to him, every little word to come out to him was only talk with no seriousness remaining to be supported with some sort of fearless, selfless action that may tip the scales of this on-going battle. "Thou is the least of a man I've ever seen! You are merely a child living under a pipe dream; you're nothing but a delusional little boy!"

It was that moment that I knew we had to do something. Because the way he had with words, may not have been just talk. And if I was right with that notion, Takuya had all of hell coming at him.

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**So here ends chapter 28. I was gonna stretch out everything with Sakkakumon until Chapter 30, so I don't have to write out an entire filler chapter with things that I have no idea what to put in. So 29 will be when Takuya takes down Mercurymon and 30 will be the battle against Sakkakumon. The small bits with the group in episode 30 will be put into chapter 31. Sorry if that's really confusing; it made sense in my head, but that doesn't really count for much.**

**Oh yeah, and this song mentioned in this chapter, September by Daughtry, is another one of my self-proclaimed character themes. It consider it to be Mirai and Takuya's theme because when I first heard it, they're who I thought of. And then when I listened to it more, I found it to be perfect for them, imo. That may be just me though; I'm weird lol.**

**So now with everything said and done, if you could take the time to review, it would please me to no end! Thanks and catch ya later!**


	31. Chapter 29

**Woo! What a way to spend my snowday! Since 8:30 in the morning, i worked and I finally got done at 9:08! I really had to work!**

**Well, down to business, i am simply astounded that in less than a half an hour after posting my previous chapter, i got a review from the user FoxyestWolf. the amount it took for a hit simply amazed me and thanks so much for that!**

**And on another note, i'm beginning to believe that Mercurymon makes up words. Is knowest really a word? my spellcheck doesn't think so.**

**Oh yes, and I've been wanting to know what my best chapter was so far, but i didn't want to make a poll for it because i didn't want there to be 29 (30 including the prologue) selections and stuff (plus i'm eager to get to bed), and so if you review (which i really hope you do), tell me what your fav chapter was. thankies!**

**Another thing, on Valentine's Day (my least fav day of the year), i posted a oneshot. i got this flame from an anonymous reviewer that, despite the fact it was a flame, made me laugh. they wrote, and i quote "Takuya knows better than to get with someone that doesn't exist" oh man, did that make me laugh. i deleted the review, but man, did that make my day. So flamer, if you're reading this, i'm mad that you have the nerve to flame people, but either way, thanks for the laugh.**

**now i'll stop blabbing since i wanna catch some Z's. Enjoy the chp! **

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Chapter 29

What hope remained now? What were the chances that Takuya could pull out of this catastrophe? Mercurymon seemed to know just how to play out this battle, he knew every move that he was going to make before he made it; it was like they were battling by scripts or he was the puppeteer in some freakish show. All he needed were some Edward Cullen sparkles stuck onto his face and he would clearly define 'freak'. But in all seriousness, this wasn't a battle that could use some light-hearted enlightenment; it just seemed so grim, so hopeless. It seemed to appear that Cherubimon had saved his best Warriors for last, just like in video games when you have to work up the levels as you gain experience and skill. But this was no video game. There were no extra lives. Once Takuya went down, he couldn't get back up. And this was the most disheartening of realizations because we couldn't really do anything from our current position. We had to just stand here and watch our comrade take on the enemy that we all were trying to fight against. We were meant to be the Twelve Legendary Warriors, and yet we were divided and turned against each other, separated like sheep gone astray by dark forces and temptation.

This was a glum, confusing sign to me. I had been so isolated from my fellow Warriors, trapped within my own illusion of familiarity, and now that I had come to see what I was really meant to do and who I was supposed to abide with, I couldn't do anything to assist that very one I was supposed to accompany. What kind of unity was this? And who was the one that continued to deceive us and tear us apart? Did Cherubimon have such a hold on this world—on _us_—that we broke away and fought without even the slightest realization that he was behind it all—the one that we were all supposed to be united together to face and destroy as one single team?

I couldn't find a good way to break it to myself. We were out of chances, this just might be it for the Warrior of Flame, and soon after the very end of the rest of the Warriors, the entire Digital World soon to follow afterwards. When we tossed out of the frying pan, we were instantly cast into the fire. It was like this world didn't want us to catch a single break, it was gonna keep pounding upon us until we broke down bit by bit, until there was no fight left within our bodies to keep us on our feet. We were on our knees and we had to keep taking the blows, but unable to bring ourselves back up for a counter strike. Cherubimon had seriously put the Digital World into a bad way. But why were we chosen to suffer? Why did we have to be here to watch Takuya take the beating that he didn't deserve?

It was almost like back home, all those years ago. He had to be the one subject to all of life's torment and he had to face them all head-on all on his lonesome. The roles were almost exactly the same. I was doing just as good as I did then; heeding him or standing by and watching him fall were hardly any different at this point. If Mercurymon so willed it, I then thought, he could've lifted a finger and destroyed him right then and there, and then _he'd _be standing by and watching the Warrior of Flame take his beating.

Despite how much I really didn't want to take this lying down, I had no clue what I could possibly do. It didn't seem like that it was possible to get back inside Sakkakumon to assist. But I didn't want to sit on the sidelines, I didn't want that single suspicion to keep me from trying to do whatever I could to get to Takuya. I wasn't going to let him get hurt more than what I had caused. I was the reason why he couldn't put up his one hundred percent in this fight against Mercurymon; I had made him weak, just because I had so much darkness in my heart that Cherubimon had used for his own desires. I might as well have been the one to inflict him the pain. Me and my double were all and the same then, and I probably would've done the same to him anyway.

I watched as the Warrior of Steel's form appeared as a reflection in one of the many obelisks, towards the top of it so he could overlook his next scheme from a good position. "What is fair to me, is deadly to thee!" He pointed his index finger upward as-a-matter-of-factly, looking down upon Agunimon with a smug smile on his face that showed he knew exactly what he was saying and just how he was going to tie it to his plans. "And so is this!"

At his command, at that moment, the obelisks began to topple over and plummet to the ground, all falling in attempt to crush Agunimon under them. He narrowly dodged them, leaping out from under each just as they were all about to tumble and rout him. He looked around for the Warrior, but couldn't see the green figure anywhere. Being in a house of mirrors, the Warrior of Steel could be just about anywhere, or maybe even everywhere as well.

I bit my lip at his attempts to dodge these new obstacles. So many of those dodges were near-misses, and just one of those could've fated the entire battle. But he had to win; he had to overcome the challenge and pull through. I knew he wasn't one to give up so easily as one would expect, but his over-determination was sometimes his weakness. He'd become so wrapped into the battle, that he'd lose sight of all else except for the one he desired to take down and defeat. In such a way, this very thing was nothing less than like the addiction of a cigarette to him. The need to win was consuming, and it could bring him to his knees in his striving to obtain it.

And when it came to such a point, he just couldn't stop smoking the sweet nicotine.

His figure suddenly appeared in a mirror, disappearing from that one, and immediately going to another. Like it was reflection tag or something. And his laugh made it seem like that's what he thought it was. "Chapter three! The so-called hero runs for his live, even though there is no escape! I am everywhere in this world! Here, I have absolute power and thou has nothing!" He paused momentarily. "Well, that is not quite true. Thou has a chance to be destroyed!" His laughter continued to echo throughout the entire dimension.

_Nothing…_The word continued to echo in my mind. I could recall when the only thing I had was loneliness, when my anger had taken everything away from me. I blamed the world around me for my losses, for the fact I had nothing. I had thought everyone had a reason to take everything from my hands, that they found some unjustified reason to deal their sought judgment upon me. How blind I was, I now concluded. I had thrown everything from me to find a reason to continue to hold my aggravation.

And now Mercurymon was trying to convince Takuya he had nothing, just as I convinced myself. But I knew that the Warrior of Flame couldn't fall to that, despite how hopeless the situation could come to appear. He was too strong to bow to the feelings of desperation and despair. A bleak battle made him eager for more, I knew that side of him all so well. Just because we weren't there to help him, he knew there was still hope in dark appearances.

Agunimon climbed up to the top of a hill of crystal and glass, shouting out to the entire area to make sure that his enemy could clearly hear his demands, "You're the one that's going down!" I could see the emotions written in his face, in his eyes. It was the frustration getting under his skin, along with the exhaustion of combat making him appear like he was thinking that he just might not ever win, it'll be this long, brutal struggle that will never end until his life was taken from him. He ground his teeth together, and glaring hard at the emptiness, demanded, his voice coming out like it was being slid across a surface made out of sandpaper that lined his windpipe, "Come out and fight!"

"Very well…" Mirrors all around emitted a bright white beam at one central point and a large, towering hologram of the Warrior of Steel appearing within it that loomed over Agunimon like a dark, threatening storm cloud. "And chapter four shall be about how I crush thee, like a boot crushes the tiniest bug!"

Agunimon let out a war cry and began ferociously began to attack the Mercurymon illusion, shattering the mirrored arms into little shards of light. The evil Warrior cried out as each part of his figure began to disappear with each taken blow. Agunimon yelled and dove off the mound, tackling the hologram in the chest and destroying it into millions of pieces. He landed onto the ground below as the remains of the light rained down like flakes of snow being cast down from the heavens. **[A/N: It's blizzarding as I'm writing this, that's where this comparison came from]**

Mercurymon's physical form appeared behind him, leaning up against an obelisk with his arms crossed. He was looking hard at the Warrior of Flame, amused with his futile attempt at destroying him. "Nice try. But breaking mirrors will only bring thee bad luck."

The Warrior of Flame spun around and faced Mercurymon with fury building within him. "I have plenty of bad luck to send your way, more than enough to take you down! You're gonna find that I'm more than you bargained for! I don't even need luck to defeat you!" He saw a challenge as his enemy began to smile deviously, and decided to take it. When things turned like they had, he'd never back away from combat. It was written within his genes. "So let me start by heating things up! Pyro Punch!" His hands were veiled in fire and he threw his fists in Mercurymon's direction, orbs of flame launched at him.

He held up his mirror towards the oncoming attack, expecting such a move to be made from the very start. "Didst thou forget this?" The fire was absorbed into the reflective glass, and the mirror glowed brightly. Suddenly the attack was fired back at a much faster rate than it had been launched previously. "Dark Reflection! A taste of thy own medicine!"

Agunimon was enveloped in the flames and he screamed such an agonizing cry, that I could feel my heart jerk at the sound hitting my ears. It was like my fight with Avaruusmon all over again, it was just like when I had tried to fight against myself. To be struck with your own attack made you doubt your own abilities. And for such an attack to be hitting you harder than your target, it was hardly plausible. And yet, there you were, taking a blow that your opponent stood through without a scratch.

The thought made me cringe slightly. The memories were still fresh in my head, like a hot branding stick. When I had been losing against myself; it was more of a mental loss than physical. It made me wonder if I had been weaker than I had originally assumed. That took a hit on my confidence. Only you know yourself the best and this was like a surprise in yourself that you just didn't realize you held. When Paikkamon had used Neutron Tri-burst and left me spitting blood, even though I didn't know her identity then, it still hit my mind more than body. At this point, she had only said we weren't that different, and that made me see her on the same level as I, and just being that out-matched that quickly was a large self-assurance destroyer. It had been just like I was punching myself in the face.

Mercurymon walked towards him, looking down upon him with his lips in a frown, seemingly hoping for more of a struggle on his foe's part. "Now follow me to the next chapter." He quickly strode past him with such high confidence that I was surprised his pointy head didn't inflate with his big-headedness.

"What for?" Agunimon snapped as he brought himself up to his feet quickly, his balance seemingly off a bit, but nonetheless, he was able to keep himself up and rather steady. The look on his face was relatively firm now, his anger had settled down in the bottom of his stomach by the looks. His mouth was a thin, flat line, and his blue eyes were still and unblinking. Only the weakness of his body that the attacks had caused him the little movement his body made.

The Warrior of Steel didn't face him as he responded simply, "It is time to bear witness before thou art defeated." A portal materialized before him and turned to static as his figure walked through it and disappeared, challenging his adversary to follow behind him and walk right into his imminent doom. He was anticipating this to be the final showdown, and being Mercurymon, I was sure that he had something big planned for this final stage.

The Warrior of Flame grounded his teeth together at the threat and decided to call Mercurymon's bluff. "How about I defeat you first?" He ran after him, through the portal. His figure disappeared, off to go fight all on his own with no help from the outside world. We were sitting ducks out here, and he was the one foolish duck to wander from the rest and take on the world.

I sighed as I turned towards the rest of the group, frowning. "Does anyone else hate where this is going?" I questioned rhetorically, fidgeting slightly and flexing my fingers in my nervousness. I could hear my heart beating in my ears and I thought I could just hurl. It unnerved me to know we were pretty much powerless at this point, with nothing really to do. That brought out some self-hatred, knowing that I should be doing something but I'm not. But what was there really to do? If we really were able to get back in there, there was the large possibly we'd be to late and we'd only be putting ourselves in immediate danger. But still, there was reason behind that risk.

Zoe seemed to be holding herself, her arms brought up tight against herself, trying to comfort herself in some way. She looked at me when I suddenly spoke, her green eyes revealing a secret hope that I had some sort of plan or just anything to ease the worry that had blanketed the entire group like a fog. "I wish…" Her eyes darted off of me and she wiped them with a single hand. "…I wish there was a way to end all of this fighting…some way to resolve all of the problems of the Digital World without violence…"

"An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind…" I mumbled to myself, digging the toe of my shoe into the dirt. I looked up at the grim, dark sky, wondering just when all of this would come to a close. But I knew through and through that it wouldn't. Wishing to end war was wishing for the seasons to stop changing. War never ceases, it solves nothing. And when war is declared, Truth is the first casualty. That old saying was indeed right, no matter how simple the words. War is hell.

Tommy neared the blonde girl and she wrapped her arm around his neck as he said, "Don't worry, Zoe. That's why we're here. We were the ones chosen to stop Cherubimon. Don't you think we wouldn't have been chosen if we couldn't handle this?" He tried to put a reassuring smile on his face, but it was overly obvious that it was faked, so it brought little to no comfort to anyone that even saw it. He, along with everyone else here, saw our own futures to be glum, and there was just some sort of relief that was needed.

She glanced down at him and lifted her lips up into the weakest of smiles at his words of reassurance. "Thanks for trying to help, Tommy." But then she looked up again at Sakkakumon, a depressed look returning back onto her face while doing so, obviously thinking about Takuya and the next part of the battle he was about to enter as we spoke. "It still worries me, though. How many losses will we have to bear through before there's peace?"

A silence overcame the group as we all thought about all those who had already fallen. Sorcerymon, Seraphimon…DemiVeemon. I felt my heart lurch as all those memories came flooding back in one huge tidal wave of emotion. I gulped back all of the feelings that tried to overcome me. _I'm not going to cry. I won't, I won't…_ I repeated this over and over again. I was stronger than that. I had learned to see past the pain and look on to the future, and I had to do that.

But the throb that suddenly flowed from my heart down to my toes and back up again was stronger than I had anticipated. Maybe it was because I didn't feel as hurt as I should've when DemiVeemon passed and now my emotions were making up for it as I reminisced. Whatever the case, I dug my teeth into my lip in order to hold back showing anything that was in my head now. No matter what I had to carry on, the losses back in the dark parts pf my mind where they couldn't hinder the motions of my everyday life.

Thoughts of DemiVeemon brought me to thoughts of Koji. I turned and looked off into the distance, just gazing at the sky once more. I knew he was all right, he was strong enough to take care of himself, but I just wondered how long it'd be until the humans were all united again. it seemed when we were all together, there was something ripping us all apart again. Divided we stood and it seemed that's just how we were going to remain. And there was more to come, more that will try to pry in between our bonds and cause us to turn against each other.

Even though Koji was going head-to-head with Duskmon, probably right at this moment, a little voice told me it was all right, to not worry. I tried to obey the voice; I knew it was right. The only thing I had to focus on was the positive. Thinking negatively wouldn't get me anywhere. The day we went through the Dark Gate proved that true. Doubt made the Warriors weak. They simply couldn't afford to have another burden placed upon their shoulders such as these draining thoughts of loss and destruction.

I looked up at Sakkakumon, and suddenly shouted up loud enough to make my throat hurt at the volume as if Takuya, by some weird, impossible chance could even hear my wo0rds of encouragement, "Kick Shakespeare's _oshiri_, Takuya!"

At this, the entire group all turned to give me weird looks as Bokomon spoke what probably all of them were thinking at this point, "Mirai, my girl, what _was_ that?" He looked rather skeptical as he said this, maybe trying to see through my eyes into my head to see if I had knocked a few screws loose during my battle in Sakkakumon. I was pretty sure I hadn't, but at this current moment, I really couldn't be sure. Maybe the water had some alcohol in it; that's why I felt so good.

"Oh. Sorry. Random outburst." I scratched the back of my head, looking away from all of their stares. It was some sort of comic relief that the entire group kinda needed at this point. Everyone was so tense with their anxiety of the outcome of this battle. This was the point where everyone would start visualizing the end of the fight, the last one standing, the one that lied motionless upon the ground with their Data visible and about to be scanned.

This was the ultimate moment of truth; this last stage of battle would determine the bigger man. Mercurymon believed he had this all within his grasp, victory was only a stone-throw away. But he was the only one here that wished such an outcome. We needed Takuya to pull through, see past that deep desire to win that took him over, and fight for everything he knew was true.

I saw that now the new dimension they had entered was blackness. Pure darkness. Agunimon looked around for his enemy, but there simply was nothing. "Where am I now? How many places are there in this stupid place?" he snapped, his eyes shifting around in every direction. He stepped forward slowly, wary of what may come out of the shadows all around him that surrounded from every given angle. His footsteps echoed on what sounded like a stone or tile floor, carrying far away because of the absence of matter to absorb it.

But suddenly, a single beam of light shot down in front of the Fire Warrior and he back-stepped out of its ray. He looked up at it as a few others appeared, and a high ceiling became slightly visible. It seemed like the light seeped through many skylights, and was increasingly growing brighter. There was a single, circular-shaped column of light in the center of the area, illuminating some large object that was hardly revealed, so it's identity was unknown thus far.

"Whoa, this is what he wanted to show me?" Agunimon looked around at the new setting, by his tone, seemingly annoyed with the time that Mercurymon seemed to just be merely wasting by taking him to a new place for battle. "Ah, who am I kidding? Whatever it is, it's gonna be a lot less pretty and a lot more painful."

The room soon revealed to be that of a church a modern-day style. Two sections of pews were divided by a wide aisle that led up to a large organ that seemed to be made mostly of gold that towered almost all the way up to the ceiling. The skylights turned out to be stained glass windows with colors of white, pink, yellow, and green that were made to shed light upon the organ and make it shine and sparkle in all of the glorious beauty it possessed after its purchase.

This brought me back to memories long since past. The last time I had been in a church was the day of Koichi's funeral. I believed that there was no such thing as God, because if there was, none of which had happened would've. I knew of sin and impurity, but couldn't He stop that if He really wanted to? Was it necessary for His _own creations_ to suffer and learn how cruel a world full of flaw could really be? Was He really a just God if He let all of this occur?

If there was someone out there, some enmity behind all that happens, my last memory of church wouldn't have been of myself crying until my throat burned like hot coals, my eyes only gave me blurred vision, and hit felt like my chest was going to burst. My family had been somewhat religious people, but I had long since turned away from such things. I had lost all hope in all of the words of such books like the Bible and turned to my own way.

And this made it extremely obvious to me as to why Mercurymon chose this as the place for a final battle. This is where things all ended, where the world says good-bye to passed loved ones. And this is where he was anticipating Takuya would see his light-filled tunnel and everyone would witness his final good-bye in this place where life meets death. This put a bad feeling into my being, worse than the one that had remained there for the longest time. I knew Mercurymon had something planned.

Agunimon walked down the center of the aisle, his eyes glaring at everything that he set them on. "All right, Mercurymon! Let's get this over with!" he snapped, his voice sounding so harsh that a chill was hurled into my skin. It was only on rare occasion that he used such a tone, and when he did, all of hell broke loose. There was no outlet good enough to let him release the emotion peacefully, it was only rash action that made it disperse from him. "Mercurymon!"

The keys on the organ suddenly lit up in a shining yellow light and all of their notes echoed through the church like an invisible player was practicing and warming up for a service. A hymn began to play gently, and I recognized it to be What A Friend We Have In Jesus. Only one verse played, and then it faded into random melodies. But that song, I knew, was a common song played at funerals. And this one I knew all too well; it was one of them that was played on that day years ago.

"Come on! Aren't you sick of hiding from me yet?" Agunimon yelled, stopping at his place to look around with more concentration. It was strange that his opponent was nowhere in sight, even though it seemed like he would've been quick to continue with his acclaimed book.

"Who's hiding?" came the ever-so smug reply.

"Stop doing that!" He turned and saw the Warrior of Steel sitting peacefully in one of the pews just a few feet from Agunimon, seeming to pay no mind to his presence or just how close he was for an attack. It just didn't appear to worry him one bit that he had his back turned and was vulnerable to some sort of assault. The fact that he had no care toward the idea that he was rendered completely helpless in this situation could unnerve just about anyone.

"Hey, guys, does it bother any of you that Takuya is kinda…I don't know, losing it?" JP piped up unexpectedly, catching the group's attention and bringing to him. His question was almost stating the obvious. How could anyone not see Takuya's sudden behavior change?

As the other humans gave their responses, I went back into thought. Everything he was doing was beginning to repeatedly remind me of myself. My anger was consuming just like his was starting to be. And all sparks of anger had their consequences. My anger had brought me here to face myself and because of that, many people suffered and were almost killed for all of this emotion that I failed to control. It was like a Beast Spirit. When you have a taste of power, it becomes a craving. And that craving becomes destruction.

Foul emotion could do so much. When you think you're on top of the world, it could come upon you and completely twist your outlook on life. It makes you seek opportunities to cause pain and revenge, and then when you reach your peak of rage, leaves you and sends you down onto your knees, weak, helpless, and alone. It brings you into ruin, gives you shattered pieces that you can hardly call life. Everything that you had once found such satisfaction in brought you now bitterness. I can remember times when all I wanted to do was cry, but my stupid pride made me hold it all inside to hurt in silence. Pride goes hand in hand with fury. You have your pedestal, where your untouchable and where you send your jabs and taunts down from, but when you take your fall from that high place, not only does pride suffer, but anger and revenge take hold against who had cast you down.

And now it was clear that Takuya's pride had taken a hit. The more and more he tried to strike Mercurymon, but missed built up all of this frustration that double-teamed him with the confidence and smugness of his opponent. The irritation that came with being both outwitted and outmatched was growing like a volcano, and soon he was about to explode along with all of his imminent wrath. The fire and lava would rain down uncontrollably and burn whoever was there.

When I had come out of my thoughts and ponderings, I saw Mercurymon snap his metal, green fingers, a shrewd smile placed upon the mirror where his face should've been. One of the stain glass windows that was on the ceiling shattered into many little pieces and the colored glass hailed down onto the floor. Through this opening, a figure levitated down and came to rest in the middle of the aisle, floating there as if held up by some secret force. And this figure was known to all of us, a figure that by some twisted, bewitched force had come again into being, something that shouldn't have existed anymore, but yet, here it stood in plain sight as clear as day.

"Chapter five! Revelation!" Mercurymon proclaimed, standing up and walking out of the pew. He turned and looked directly at Agunimon for some awed response. _Of course he'd call this chapter Revelation. He expects this to be the final chapter, just as the final book in the Bible is called Revelation. It's the second coming of Christ, and here it's the second coming of Seraphimon_, I thought with a scowl, sickened by the Warrior's twisted humor.

The Warrior of Flame's mouth was left agape as he made out the quiet, not-quite-believing words, "It's…Seraphimon." His eyes showed his disbelief for the arrival of the fallen Celestial Digimon, and his body didn't move an inch. It was as though the presence of this Mega Digimon immobilized his body, he was just so absorbed in the mystery behind Seraphimon's being. It had a vexing effect, just that single wondering of how he could possibly exist after he'd been destroyed.

Seraphimon's form levitated only a few inches from the ground, his arms were out horizontal, his head hanging limply with his chin against his sternum. His entire body was wrapped up in thorns, entangled into a single, long thorned vine. I knew it was on purpose, that it was Mercurymon's whole little desire to make him appear like Jesus Christ on the cross, and all of those similarities just were all probably for one big joke on the Warrior's part. Except now there was no 'It is finished', this was no victory for the side of good. This was merely the beginning of Mercurymon's scheme to make the Warrior of Flame fall.

"Very good. It's seems that thou art not as dull as I thought." Mercurymon neared the fallen Celestial, his stride slow and steady, showing just how confident this Digimon had become. I could bet he planned on bringing Seraphimon into this all along, that was why he scanned his Data the first place. Not just so he could make him meet death, but also so he could make Takuya meet his as well. This whole plan was like an intricate spider web, each line was created to support the other and make one large, deadly trap.

Agunimon tried to object to what his own eyes were seeing, but you just can't escape reality. I had tried it so many times, but you have to awaken to realization eventually. "But that's not possible! He was turned into a DigiEgg!" I could see that in his eyes he was recalling that day when we were at his castle and he had taken that Dark Reflection attack for us, when Mercurymon had scanned all of his Data and his DigiEgg was all that remained of the powerful Digimon. It was hardly believable then as well, that the mighty could fall so far, so fast. "It's impossible!"

If the Warrior of Steel had a neck, I would've assumed that he would've shaken his head at Takuya's stupidity and incompetence. "How little thou knowest of the Digital World…" _Not everything that's impossible in our world is impossible here as well…_

"Seraphimon?" Tommy questioned aloud, though by his facial expression, it was almost as though he didn't even realize it that the name had come out of his mouth. His eyes were glued to that single sphere of Sakkakumon, like the more he looked at it, the more normal-seeming he might make it.

"It can't be! I mean, it can't be, right?" There was a certain level of panic that Zoe hit; it was in her voice. Just the plausibility of one of the Celestial Digimon being completely under Mercurymon's complete control was enough to scare anyone.

"It's probably another one of Mercurymon's tricks!" JP tried, getting equally scared as Zoe was. The tone and the speed of his words showed he jumped to this conclusion with little to no thought, that it was all because he just couldn't believe the thought that he was actually real.

I shook my head at JP's theory, giving my own hypothesis a shot. "No…it's the real thing. All of the Digimon within Sakkakumon were real; I don't think Mercurymon can conjure anything more than the dimensions that are in each orb. He had Seraphimon's Data, so he must be real or at least…an apparition created from the Data…" I narrowed my eyes while looking back at the Beast of Steel, knowing that a bigger fight than what had gone down in the realm of mirrors was going to soon begin. "…which would mean…he'd have all the power the Seraphimon we knew had."

Neemon's voice surprised me, because when I had looked at him for that split-second, his eyes were like golf balls. And…apparently they had stayed that way too. "My eyes are stuck!"

"Release him now!" Agunimon demanded, glaring poison-tipped daggers at the Warrior of Steel.

The Warrior of Steel looked at him like he was the most foolish person he's ever set eyes on. And with no offense intended to Takuya, he probably most likely was this very person, at least seen in his eyes. "Tis not really a 'him' to release."

"What do you mean?" I could hear that pleading for enlightenment, that need to know just what was his plan, what kind of state Seraphimon was now in, and how that could possibly become a great danger to him now. And at this moment, I was sure that we were all wondering that very same thing, though he was the only one there that will be there to feel the sting of Mercurymon's plan that deeply involved the strength of the angel Digimon, the only one that will have absolutely no idea what he was going up against until it came up against him.

Mercurymon walked over and stood directly in front of the Celestial, facing the Warrior of Flame. "Tis only a shadow, a copy of his Data. But if thou insists…" The thorns that restrained Seraphimon shattered into nothingness, but he remained still and unmoving. "It need not be restrained for me to use it thus!" He held out his arms in the same manner as Seraphimon and their two forms faded into one and then became concealed in a veil of Data.

"No! This can't be!" Agunimon's eyes grew instantly wide as the golden feathers that once covered Seraphimon's magnificent wings were cast away, revealing the dark, bat-like wings that had been concealed underneath.

I heard the words, "Oh, _kuso_," fall out of my mouth.

"But it is. I have become more powerful than thou canst imagine! I am ShadowSeraphimon!" His body was covered with a white armor with various designs upon it, shades of Mercurymon's green on his shoulders and arms. His head was partially guarded by armor on the sides with two smaller wings on the helmet that covered his face, and on top were red spikes that jutted out. The golden cross-shape that was once on Seraphimon's helmet was titled to an X. He stood tall, towering over Agunimon by several feet, plates covering his long legs from his waist down and going along the sides of his legs. At his knees, there were green mask-like designs, each bearing the lips that Mercurymon had. His feet were long, his ankles each holding a patch of green and Mercurymon faces, and the ends were pointed sharply upward. It was certain that he was some sort of freak of nature. His existence just wasn't right.

"Wish to fight me now, pathetic whelp?" the new evil Digimon questioned tauntingly, his voice being exactly the same as it was when it had been Mercurymon's. Took a step toward Agunimon and pivoted to stand directly in line with him. He let out his all-too familiar laugh, ready for the battle.

I gritted my teeth and balled my fist, wishing to destroy him then and there with merely my gaze. "How dare he use such a pure Digimon for such purposes!" I growled, digging my fingernails into my palm without consciously knowing that I was doing so. "What I wouldn't do right now to be able to take a swing at him…" I could feel the rage being pulled out of me again; I hated being useless like I was, it just made it harder to deal with knowing there were wrongdoings going on before my eyes. "You deserve what you have coming to you, Mercurymon!" I felt my voice rip through my throat as the deep desire to just flog him arose without my control or willing.

I hated how he couldn't hear me, how he just stepped towards Agunimon without a single care. It made my threat completely demeaning, and I was often accustomed to that being one of my most effective weapons in my arsenal. "Prepare for thy doom."

"People keep saying that, but I'm still around!" Agunimon brought up his arms into a defensive stance, preparing himself for ShadowSeraphimon's attack, and braced his legs, one behind the other for support. Never once did his gaze remove from his opponent.

It seemed that he was waiting for those words to be said, an invitation to go ahead at him full force and take him down with granted permission. "Well, then, let's change that, shall we?" He lunged at Agunimon, using his wings to glide at a great speed and tackled the Fire Warrior back, casting him up into the air with just a single punch to the stomach. He then proceeded to jump up to confront him and brought his left leg up. Using the heel, he slammed his foot down upon his head and cast him back down to the ground.

He then landed down on his feet and flashed over where Agunimon was beginning to stand. He grabbed his arms and twisted them backwards, causing Agunimon to cry out in agony. He then grasped a hold onto his head, lifted him off the ground only to slam him back down again, breaking the stone of the floor and sending its fragments hurling into his skin. The world felt a chill as the Warrior of Flame screamed that horrifying cry of sheer pain.

"Takuya!" Zoe involuntarily yelled upward, voicing out only a small portion of what I wanted to, tears seemingly right at the brink of forming at the corners of her eyes, only a tiny bit of how much I wanted to cry, her voice reaching an octave of the desperation that matched the amount I felt. We were almost the same now, little differences in feeling and calling of action, and now it was extremely difficult for both of us to hold in what made us so alike.

I could feel that sting of each and every blow Takuya sustained, just watching made me hurt from head to toe. Maybe it was the pain of knowing I just shouldn't be standing around and doing nothing except feeling sorry for the boy—that I actually should be assisting in some way. This said way, I had no idea, but just thinking about it would be doing _something_ that would benefit the cause. It made me hurt inside when watching him take on a foe we've all been combating against all alone, like I was the one actually inflicting the pain. And I had come too far to do that again.

"Why is Seraphimon fighting Agunimon? And how is Seraphimon even there if we have his DigiEgg?" Tommy questioned, almost in a wailing tone at this point that showed just how much anxiety the child had welling up within him. Tears were escaping from his eyes as he was here forced to watch his surrogate older brother getting the crap beaten out of him. It was just so wrong to make a kid that small, that young see the reality we lived in.

"He's not," Bokomon responded, causing the smallest Warrior to look at him in surprise. "Mercurymon is using Seraphimon's Data to evolve, that evil, no good nick." He climbed up upon JP's shoulders to have a better view of Sakkakumon.

"How'd he do that?" JP retaliated, turning his head towards Bokomon anxiously for a good, logical answer.

Unfortunately, it seemed that he didn't even have one this time. And of all times to lack information, this had to be the very one. "I'm not sure, but I'd recognize that villainous fiend even if he were disguised as a little girl selling cookies."

"Cookies…" _Neemon, are you on something?_

ShadowSeraphimon loomed over Agunimon's trembling figure, ready to do more if necessary. "Had enough?"

He averted one blue eye to look at the figure standing over him as he made out the words, digging his fingers into the shattered rubble of the floor that was under him, "I'm just getting started." He was encased in blue Data. "Slide Evolution! BurningGreymon!" His Beast Spirit appeared in his place, though still having the wounds sustained upon him that his Human form had gained in the struggle, he still looked a bit stronger than he was before.

If it were possible to see the evil Digimon's eyes, I would've thought he'd have rolled them. "Ugh, you again?"

"Pyro Barrage!" The Beast of Flame fired from the weapons on his arms red lasers at ShadowSeraphimon, stirring up a dark cloud of dust that concealed him. But before he had disappeared into the dust, I hadn't seen him move from his place or even flinch from the attack. I doubted that it had done anything except get his armor dusty.

He then suddenly leapt out from the cloud towards BurningGreymon and grabbed hold of him, releasing an attack of bright yellow electricity around them both. "Shadow Starburst!" He cackled as the Beast fell back down to the ground, crashing into several pews in the process. "Nothing in this world can stand against me!"

The fire dragon trembled uncontrollably, his eyes squeezed shut. He couldn't even bring himself up from the ground, much less attack ShadowSeraphimon. There wasn't much hope remaining now. "I won't give up… I can't…"

"I can't believe we have to watch this happen…" JP said quietly in a way that I couldn't tell if it was to himself or directed to the rest of the group.

I glanced down at my shoes and kicked a stone away. "We shouldn't have to," I mumbled back, avoiding eye contact with anyone that was around me. I didn't want them to see that I was almost at the point of tears; I didn't have to keep showing my weakness to them.

"Mercurymon was so strong before, but now with Seraphimon's power…there's just no way that Takuya can defeat him." Zoe had her hands folded up together by neck-level, like she was praying for some sort of better outcome in the battle than was already appeared was going to happen. We were all wishing that, but so far it didn't seem like such a request was going to be granted at this point. There just didn't seem like much hope now.

"Not quite!" Bokomon cut in, catching everyone by surprise by his outburst of sudden optimism. "There is one way…"

"Fusion Evolution!" Tommy continued, getting the idea of the white Digimon, and seemingly now pretty excited that it was now suddenly an option, that there, in a single instant, became one little flicker of hope in a world of almost complete doubt.

"Someone care to enlighten me?" I questioned flatly, feeling that I really shouldn't be left out of such a discussion and in the dark about some new evolution that I had heard not of. I didn't know what everyone else thought, but I thought it'd probably be nice for me to know.

"It's the evolution that Koji used to fight Duskmon," Bokomon began, getting is as-a-matter-of-fact tone into play, "It seems that the power contained within Seraphimon's DigiEgg can allow the Warriors to have a new evolution—a fusion of both Human and Beast Spirit. But it seems that unlocking the power is no easy task; it was as though Koji had to call upon it in the midst of danger just as he was about to be eliminated by Duskmon." _Like the key was pain itself_, his eyes seemed to add.

I nodded in understanding as Zoe questioned worriedly, "But will Takuya even know to try it?"

"And can he evolve before it's too late!" JP added, causing the suspense to grow with his words.

Our discussion was soon interrupted as the voice of BurningGreymon echoed throughout the entire area, "Pyro Barrage!" At this point, he had managed to put himself back on his feet, but he looked highly unstable judging by his position.

But ShadowSeraphimon held out his hand and created a force field that blocked all of the attacks thrown at him. "Thy antics are boring." He swept his arm across and blew an almost invisible surge back at his foe. "Shadow Shockwave!" BurningGreymon was taken aback by the blow and the force made his feet slide backwards. "It is time to write thy final chapter, you meddlesome child!" He held his arms out to make a backwards C-shape, his palms facing each other. He brought his arms around and put his palms together in front of him. "Strike of the Seven Dark Stars!"

Seven orbs of dark violet were released from his hands and struck the Beast of Flame, enveloping him in a cylinder of a cerulean blue fire. An excruciating screech came from it, the voice starting to sound all the more human, and all the more heart-breakingly relatable. The attack dispersed and Takuya crumbled to the ground, the lenses of his goggles that had meant so much to the both of us shattering. Everyone shouted out his name, and I had lost the rest of my self-restraint.

I ripped my D-Tector out of my pocket and shrieked, "I'm gonna kill you—you _shiseiji,_ for what you've done!" I stepped towards the Beast of Steel, and clicking the side button on my D-Tector, allowed the ring of Fractal Code to appear around my hand, but the other humans stepped in front of me.

"You can't do that, Mirai!" Zoe gave me an understanding look and I gave her a hard stare in return. "We all want to get a piece of him, but you can't just fight him without any plan of attack! Don't do anything rash that you're going to regret!"

I felt that deep coldness I was so used to return to me. "Watch me," I growled back, about to bash the Data against the scanner, but they restrained my arms away from each other to render me immobile and stop my Spirit Evolving. "Let. Me. Go!" I snarled, struggling for release. But in my efforts, I dropped my D-Tector on the ground. I felt it made me so weak that it was right there at my feet, but I couldn't even bend down to reach it. It seemed to be staring up at me, reverberating the words, like it was accusing me of some crime I knew not of, _You know what you need to do… You know what you need to do…_ "I need to do _something_! Let me do _something!_"

"We all do, but for now we gotta let Takuya fight his own battle," JP stated in response to my screaming.

"What kind of battle is that! Do you call Takuya having the _kuso _beat out of him a battle? That's homicide!" I snapped back, feeling their resistance against me was unjustified, that I shouldn't be held back by them because they were the ones were wrong. I should be there fighting, just has he fought for me. I had to repay him back somehow and the way I could do that was to keep him from death. Doing nothing simply wasn't an option anymore.

They grew into silence at my words, seeing the wisdom within them. And I couldn't look at them now; I could only watch as ShadowSeraphimon turned towards the organ. "Ah, but first one last gift…" Out of the floor a dull, grey coffin emerged, veiled in blue light. It tumbled down the stairs and came to rest about halfway down them. "A little place for thee to take a long, long nap…"

"You haven't beaten me yet…" Just the sound of Takuya's voice cracking, sounding so weak, made me tremble. I hadn't heard his voice sound so quiet, so lost of strength. I had to gulp back the tears that were trying to escape.

The fallen Celestial didn't miss a beat. "Then allow me the pleasure of correcting that oversight." He stepped towards the Warrior, laughing, as the boy struggled to get at least onto his knees, but weakness preventing him from doing so.

I saw tears making their way from my comrades eyes; they all took a final look at Takuya as he made his last efforts to make some sort of movement. As ShadowSeraphimon towered over his form that had seemed so small in comparison to him, he managed to lift his head up towards him. "It shall all be over…" the evil angel mumbled, reaching down and grasping Takuya's head, lifting him up off of the ground. His nails dug into his skin. "What? No witty quips?"

"Why waste my breath on a jerk like you?" he retorted back weakly, his entire body hanging down completely limp. His skull could've been crushed in right then and there, but no, his enemy wanted the suffering to last as long as it amused him.

"It will be purest pleasure to destroy thee…" His grip upon his head tightened, his nails cutting through his skin, and I saw blood beginning to seep down his face. _He wanted to see the pain he was causing…He willed the blood to exist…just as I had…_

Ripping my body free, I dove down and grabbed my D-Tector. I pressed the side button down and the copper-colored ring of Data appeared around my hand. "Polymerization Spirit Evolution!" I could feel the power of both Space and Time flowing through me and in my place, the Spirit Ryoushinmon appeared. I leapt up with inhuman strength to orb that the battle was taking place. I began to punch the surface of it madly, releasing all of my rage upon it with each delivered blow. I flexed my fingers and spikes unfolded on the plates on my arms. I tried to slash through the barrier, feeling the electric force trying to keep me out. But it tried to see through the pain, past the pain and to my goal behind it all.

_Please let me through, let me through…_ I began to mentally beg to some paranormal force—one could say it was praying—maybe even begging to my own opponent to let me through. But my temper saw through. _Let. Me. Through!_ I screamed in my head, but out loud I was trying to yell to Takuya at the top of my lungs as I noticed the others had Spirit Evolved and were trying to break through the wall as well, "Takuya, you can't give in! Fight! You have to keep holding on! Just never give up! Think of everyone here that needs you to win this!"

I tried to make my power of Space flow into the spikes on my arms, trying to bend the barrier with the power of one of my Elements. I managed to rip a hole in it, and used my fingers to pull it apart. With my highly-attuned hearing, I heard Bokomon cry out to the DigiEgg, "If you can hear me, Seraphimon, please, please help us!"

We heard the sound of Takuya's yell, sounding almost like nails on a chalkboard, and we all screamed out his name. And that seemed to trigger the DigiEgg; it illuminated a robin's egg blue hue and levitated up into the air. The wing design glowed and it emitted a beam of light that shot through the hole I managed to pry open. I backed away to watch the beam enter, and panting, I landed on the ground. The others joined me and we all De-Spirit Evolved as the beam of light connected with Takuya.

"What trickery be this?" ShadowSeraphimon questioned, staring upon him as he was veiled in light.

"You're in for a big surprise!" Takuya retorted, his strength returned to him and evident in his voice. He was surrounded in a red light, outlining his entire figure, and his skin became hot to the touch, causing his foe to release him and back off.

"Thou dost not scare me!" He braced himself for some sort of combat. There was a long pause and then he suddenly became jumpy for no apparent reason. "Seriously!"

Takuya suddenly became veiled in fire, bringing his head up to cry out to the heavens, "OH YEAH! THEN TELL ME SOMETHING! DO I SCARE YOU NOW?" (Is caps lock stuck?) He yelled a loud, fierce cry and his goggles flashed and were immediately repaired.

I felt myself grinning. "Burn, baby, burn."

He thrust his hand forward, his D-Tector in his grasp with Seraphimon's symbol lighting up the screen. He held out his free hand and multiple rings of Data appeared around it. "Execute now! Fusion Evolution!" He was surrounded in the orb of Data, flames flaring out. And then it shattered, the new Fusion Digimon appearing. "Aldamon!"

The Spirit had a mixture of the armor of Agunimon and BurningGreymon. He stood taller than the Human, but still retained the long, blonde hair. Ember-colored wings protruded from his back along with a dragon-like tail. He had long, clawed feet and retained the same metal weapons on his arms from his Beast. He was veiled in fire, majesty and authority just emitting from his new form.

"Impressive, but thou still cannot stand against _my_ power!" ShadowSeraphimon tried to stand firm, getting into position. "Strike of the Seven Dark Stars!" The attack was released from his palm, he released the attack twice, but Aldamon merely took the attack like it was a whack with a pillow.

He began to step forward, his gaze straight forward, and his mouth a thin, flat line. His opponent was trying to protest and make him get back but in response, he said, his voice suave and calm, "You know, that thing really seems to be more _your_ size than mine!" His weapons rotated one by one, and a rapid-fire fire attack was released at ShadowSeraphimon. "Atomic Inferno!" The attack struck its target and the Fractal Code became visible. "It's purification time—" _Yeah, ruin the moment with a horrible phrase. _"—and it couldn't have happened to a meaner guy." He pulled out his D-Tector and scanned the Data. "Fractal Code! Digitize!"

The Data of Seraphimon was sucked up into the Digivice and the form of Mercurymon appeared once again. The Fractal Code then escaped through the screen and seeped out through the dimension of Sakkakumon. It sailed down, and in the effort to return to the DigiEgg, also managed to supercharge Bokomon in the process, making him dance around like he'd been electrocuted.

"I'm sure glad you're in charge of the egg!" Neemon admitted, jumping back with his eyes wide.

"Amen!" I agreed with a smirk as I noticed the orb on the Steel Beast darken and turn a shade of purple. And the other orb still retained its pea green shade, the stage of one final stand.

Mercurymon returned to the dimension of mirrors through an eye-shaped portal once again, standing upon a hill of reflective glass with his lips turned into a frustrated expression. _How the mighty have fallen… _"That plan was ruined, but I can still win here…"

"Don't be so sure." Somehow, Aldamon managed to beat him into his own domain, flying down to the ground from where he had entered.

The Warrior of Steel looked down upon the Fusion Spirit, still trying to hold his ground. But it was far too late for that. Even he should've known that it was his last minutes. "Aldamon! Looking to repeat thy defeat here!" he questioned, as if there was still more chance of his victory.

"No! To teach you what defeat really means!"

"Ha! Thou art a confident opponent; I will grant thee that." He took a step forward and held up one of his mirrors like a warrior would hold a shield. He was running out of defenses. "But confidence is still no match for the skill and power I possess!"

Aldamon gritted his teeth. "Just like you're no match for me!" He stood firm and planted his feet, outspreading his arms out wide and then bringing them together, his wings raising upwards, a bright red orb began to form from energy collecting within his fingers. As the ball began to grow in size, he brought his arms out and yelled, "Solar Wind Destroyer!" He raised the ball of fire above his head and cast it forward at Mercurymon. It destroyed everything in its path, and the whole area was consumed in fire, the mirrors destroyed from the heat.

"This can't be!" Mercurymon gasped, leaning back away from the Fire Warrior.

"I have a book of my own with a surprise ending!" Aldamon proclaimed, "You're finished, Mercurymon!" _If Takuya wrote it, that would be one interesting book. I've seen him use text speak on a research paper, so this would be interesting…_

"No! Even without my mirrors, I still possess enough power to defeat thee!" I could see the Warrior of Steel's mound of mirrors melting away as Aldamon brushed of his words and ran at him. "No! Stop! Thou cannot get past my shield! It shall repel thy attack!" He held his mirror up to guard himself in that last act of desperation.

The Fusion Spirit flew up to face him and threw back his fist. "Ha! I'll go around it then!" He threw his fist at the mirror that made up Mercurymon's chest and broke through, shattering the glass, reminding me of when I had stabbed my double in the back. Flames shot through his new chest cavity and the Fractal Code appeared as the D-Tector was pulled out. "It's over! You won't hurt me or my friends ever again! Fractal Code! Digitize!" The little figurine of the Human Spirit was sucked in and the silhouette of the mirror Digimon faded away, his DigiEgg floating away.

Then the orb darkened and Aldamon began to fly down from it. "Hey, everyone! Guess who just kicked Mercurymon's sorry butt!" he proclaimed, landing on the ground and De-Spirit Evolving with a big fat smirk on his face. That same old goggle-headed smile.

"You did!" I answered back, giving him a high-five and returning the smile that he cast the entire group.

But at that moment, Bokomon, who had been laying on Zoe's lap, let out one of those weird, demented wails. He clenched his teeth together, his lips rose up higher than I though possible, and his eyes were like Frisbees…yeah, I can safely say there's something wrong with this picture.

"Whoa, what the heck is wrong with Bokomon?" Takuya questioned, walking over to the group.

I tried to put on my theorizing voice, trying to sound logical. "I think he's going into labor. Just a thought."

JP gave me a discouraging look as he actually answered Takuya, "He was zapped by Seraphimon's Data."

But then the DigiEgg began to pretty much vibrate and began to crack. Blue light escaped from the cracks, and then suddenly, as Neemon said gleefully, "This is the most beautiful thing ever!" The egg kinda… popped. No, maybe exploded is a better word. Whatever the case, a giant cloud of purple smoke puffed out. "And the smokiest! Ehk, ehk!"

As the others in the group began to laugh, I couldn't help but mumble out, "Hope my kid doesn't do that."

But instead of being Seraphimon in all of his glory, out of the egg came out a little…hamster-thing with bat wings. His coloring was an orangish and his stomach was tan. And he just so happened to have one of Bokomon's pink waistbands. _Wonder how that happened… Did he somehow…insert it into the DigiEgg or something when we weren't looking?_ "Oh! It's Patamon!" Bokomon's voice morphed into this thing that sounded like he was almost cooing over the little Digimon.

"Hi everybody!" Patamon's voice came out this little high-pitched sound, hardly believable to be Seraphimon's at one point.

I think the electrocuting did a bit more than make him act funny; it musta did something in his head too. "He's my…He's my little baby." But then here came the creepy outburst where he raised his arms and his eyes…went funny. "Now come say hi to Mama!"

My outburst was next. As everyone else questioned, 'You want him to call you Mama?', I questioned, "What kind of scary-_oshiri_ mama do you think you are?"

And the newborn complied, smiling brightly. "Mama!"

Bokomon answered our words, "Well, who else carried that egg for weeks while the rest of you lollygagged around?"

The group began to yell at him for his words, and as they did so, I wished not to partake in the argument. I turned away and looked off into the distance, the wind blowing incessantly through my hair, wondering, _Koji…just where are you?_


	32. Chapter 30

**Finallllly, another chapter done after half of forever! I'm sorry to keep you waiting for this. First I decided to spend a couple days making a Takouji amv and put it on Youtube (sorry to those anti-yaoi people), but if anyone is interested, it's entitled Takuya Makes Kouji So Hot. The other reason that it took forever is track. I had a busy season this year- I was able to make it to sectionals, so that made my season about a week longer than it would've been if I hadn't. But I'll admit, I had my best races this season.**

**But now summer vacation is here for me! Which is the reason why I was able to get this done! I sat myself down yesterday, telling myself that I was gonna finish no matter how long it took, and viola! We have a chappie!**

**Anyway, inspiration for this chapter came from the songs Someday by Nickleback and Dirty Little Secret by All-American Rejects, even though it has nothing remotely to do with this chapter. It just helped me write. No idea why.**

**Okay, in my last author's note, I asked what my readers' favorite chapter was. If I recall correctly, it was totally unanimous in saying chapter 15 when Koji and Mirai first kiss. In all honesty, I had completely forgotten about that part until I read a review with it mentioned. ^-^;**

**I apologize that my other writing projects have been getting in the way of my fanfictions. I have a story on that I'm working on that I'd love to get more reviews on *hint hint wink wink*. If you wanna check it out, my pen name on there is Amaya Sasaki. Thank you to anyone that decides to take a look.**

**And now to talking about this chapter after blabbing for so long. I've noticed that there is waaay too much dialogue. I kinda subconsciously put lots of talking in it to make up for how much I suck at writing fight scenes. So for that, I'm sorry.**

**Now, after a long long wait, I present to you Chapter 30!**

* * *

Chapter 30

_Hmm… 'I can't express how sorry I am. Words are simply too small, too insignificant…' No, that's no good. 'I'd like to make some deep amends with you'; that hardly has any feeling into it. Man, how can I do this? I can't just stand by without some sort of words of remorse. But how to present? There's the problem…_ I scratched my head, tossing ideas around into my head while watching the group discuss things that hardly concerned me at the moment. _Okay, let's try this again… 'Uh, hey, Takuya. I just wanted to say thanks for saving my _oshiri_ and sorry for trying to destroy you…' What am I thinking? That's no way to do that. Maybe I should just wing it, like I normally do. Can't really hurt…_

My eyes suddenly shifted upwards towards the Beast of Steel veiled in darkness. It ascended up into the clouds and out of sight. To this, of which apparently everyone had ceased their talking to watch, Zoe noted, "There goes Sakkakumon…" I could see relief take over her face, and I felt the same on mine. It was finally over. We walked through the doors into the depths of hell, said 'hey' to the devil, and made it out alive, slamming the door behind us and taking a big breath of fresh air.

"That's a relief," Tommy agreed.

And now, JP decided that he had to put in something as well, as long as everyone else was, despite how original his words were. "He's just backing off." **[A/N first time I heard him say this, I was laughing so hard. It was just such a 'well, duh!' kind of moment]**

This made me want to put in my two cents. "Thank you, Captain Obvious," I retorted with hardly any sort of smile. I hid all of the enthusiasm I had, but kept it in my back pocket just in case I wanted to pull it out at any given moment.

Except I didn't expect him to have a comeback. "You're welcome, Lieutenant Sarcasm."

Apparently this was a free for all, because now Takuya found a need to join in on this. He was grinning, caught up in the good nature of our words, despite them being rather insulting to each other. "Now, now, children. What did I tell you about name-calling?" he teased, his brown eyes shining like tiger's eye that just came out of a rock tumbler. Okay, maybe that wasn't one of my best comparisons… Hehe, yeah, that shows a bit of laziness there.

"If you can't answer a man's arguments, all is not lost; you can still call him vile names." I smirked at my response, causing chuckles from the others in the group. That little hint of support made me feel a little bit better about myself. At least I could make them laugh. Even if that was the only thing I could do for them, it gave me the smallest amount of satisfaction. But honestly, I didn't deserve that kind of feeling; anything that made me feel good inside shouldn't have been there for the right reasons. Too many things have happened.

Takuya had no real way to answer this, but he remained beaming. "Haha, close enough, I guess." Seeing him this cheerful made me miss the past, before any of this, before I had some darker inner self that craved revenge and held such grudges. But it seemed like those times were locked up in lock and chain, so far away, drifting more and more. I might not have been quite fine with that thought, but that only gave me encouragement to look for more sparks to ignite the reflections of such memories.

I plopped down the ground, crossing my legs Indian-style and resting my hands upon them. The conversation I had put myself into merely delayed what I knew I had to say. I couldn't put anything that needed to be done off for much longer. It'd only be bottled up with everything else that I need to get out into the open, things that needed to take a little bit more time in the unraveling, things that I need to think about more before saying something stupid.

Taking time to glance around, I tossed my eyes around at all of the other Warriors' faces. I had never taken time to actually look past the face, past that exterior mask, into the person. It made me feel so selfish, so self-involved that I hadn't taken a single moment out of my day to consider how everything was affecting the others. I had thought I was taking all the heat; that I was the only one that got a punch to the face or maimed so I couldn't stand. But looking now, on all of them, I could see the bruises, the scrapes, the physical wear of being trapped in such a brutal world and having to fight off forces that seem so much stronger than ourselves. It was the perseverance that came with the Spirits, in our own hearts, that brought us this far. We all had sustained causalities in this war, and it was the same, united goal that kept us going. Sure we were knocked down, but the most important thing was that we got back up. That is what determination really was. It wasn't remaining on your feet; it was having the courage to get back up when you fall down.

I closed my eyes and let out a sigh. _Ready…go._ I brought myself to my feet and with an uncontrollably solemn look put upon my face, I said, "Takuya… We have to talk. I'd prefer alone." I cast my eyes around at each of the other members of the group to see their expressions before returning my gaze back to the Warrior of Flame, awaiting a response that came without much delay and without any compilation of words from the others.

"Mirai…" Before continuing, he paused to ponder for a brief moment. "All right. Let's go." As we began walking away, he turned his head back toward the group, and said to them, "We'll be back soon. Make sure you wait for us. And if anything happens…" He trailed off, not even bothering to continue. It was as if his stern, chocolate-colored eyes proceeded to transmit his words to them for him to say what he didn't want to with physical words.

I could see just by the tone of his voice and the way his expression was written on his face that the whole experience in Sakkakumon had indeed changed him; it made him a stronger, better person. Dare I say that it made him a man? Despite how it seemed so unfitting, it was an accurate title. It was true that we all had grown here. But I saw Takuya had taken on more than a role model sort of figure, but more of a guardian sort of position. He was leader, he watched over all the others, and sought for the needs of others before his own. I wouldn't have really seen this way back when. He was one of those kids that didn't give a crap about siblings, but now, it seemed that the bond that the Warriors had all made was like siblings, and he was the responsible one holding us all together. _Places like this just make you grow up way too fast…_

When we were out of the others' earshot, it was then Takuya piped up, getting straight down to the point, which was usually what I was used to Koji doing, not all that often done by Takuya, "So what's on your mind, Mirai?"

_Okay, moment of truth._ "I really don't know how to put this in a really good way that doesn't make me seem like a total dork—" 'Dork' made him a little curious. I normally didn't use such a word. "—but either way, here goes." I could feel my heartbeat pounding all the way up in my nose and I heard my tone and words just speed up. "Takuya, I'm really sorry for everything I've done ever since we got here—no, since I accused you of cheating—and I don't know any way to make it up to you, so if there's anything you need, you want, anything, I'm here and I just really need to do something to show any sign of remorse. It can be anything, Takuya, I just really want you to know how sorry I am. I've been a complete moron, I've been enough of a moron for twenty people, 'cause you risked your _oshiri_ for me more times than I can count aaannd—" Deep, long breath. "—it just kills me inside to know I've done, like, nothing for you in return, except make things harder for you. I almost killed you in Sakkakumon; I know it really wasn't me, but it was my own inner darkness that was formed into an entire enmity, so it feels like I was the one attacking you the whole time. And I might as well have been, because I was just so angry and that's what I really desired to do, and you would've been better off destroying me with her." Final, concluding breath.

He gave me a funny look at all of this once I had finished as if I had just said the stupidest thing possible. "Okay, I didn't really catch any of that. Should I ask you to repeat that or am I better off leaving well enough alone?" he inquired.

I narrowed my eyes to him. "Don't you dare make me repeat all that," I growled, but then changing my tone and facial expression, making it lighter and adding a bit more seriousness. I figured I had to reiterate, except collect my thoughts and words together a bit better than previously. "…Well, I guess I'm just trying to touch on, erm…" Now that I was actually thinking deeply about my words, they were all jumbled up and I couldn't really figure out what I wanted to say that would both make sense and sound reasonably acceptable. "…You don't actually have to forgive me; don't say you do when you don't feel it in your heart…I just wanted to say sorry—"

I was cut off abruptly when I was caught off-guard by Takuya wrapping his arms around me and pulling me close into a warm, gentle embrace. It startled me at first, but I was quick to melt into it, and feel his heat and the softness of his skin. I missed it. I knew I missed it. I couldn't deny I missed it. "I forgive you," he responded with a genuine smile that I could remember. It seemed to be of a different time, an entirely different life. Then and now had an expanse between it, and now it seemed there was a bridge built between them. "It's no problem."

That boy never ceased to amaze me. All of this—everything that has happened between us—what I did to him and his comrades—the hell that I threw him into; he just dismissed all of it like it was a snap of the fingers, with the simple, casual words 'It's no problem.' It was like he was just forgiving me for something minor, like if I accidentally bumped into him or something like that. But no, what I did was so much more than that, there were countless things that I've done, things I couldn't even describe with words. And yet…he could look past all of it without a hesitation. He was just…amazing. No words could really put my feelings in the way they were felt. Words had little significance in comparison.

I didn't anticipate the words that he said to fill the silence that had shrouded us. It wasn't the kind of silence I was used to; however, it was more of a peaceful quiet, not that threatening, unnerving noiselessness I had known. "Mirai, it's no big deal. You don't have to cry."

_I-I'm crying?_ I brought my hand up to my face and was astonished to feel the warm tears on my cheeks. _Why am I crying? Was it hearing his words of forgiveness? I didn't expect this to happen…what can I possibly say? What is left to say?_ I tried to gulp back my tears, but they just kept coming. I felt a smile break onto my face; my body was acting without my commands. "But it is, Takuya. You don't know what this means to me…you are one of the closest people I have in my life. And I wouldn't blame you if that changed…"

At this, he brought his arms up onto my shoulders and my face immediately directed itself to his so I could look directly into his bright brown eyes. "I promise you, that'll never change, no matter what happens." He smiled lightly, his eyes disappearing when doing so. "Breathe, just breathe. Take the world off your shoulders and put it on me."

I chuckled quietly at the last bit of his words, recognizing them quite well, and then questioned as I wiped my eyes with my hand, "You know you just quoted a song, right?"

"Yeah, completely. You still kinda do that to me. You make songs come into my head; you've always done that. When you first left, there were songs that I just couldn't get out of my head, songs so fitting, songs we used to sing together…" I could remember that look he gave me at that moment; I could remember it oh-so well. That frown that made me feel so bad about myself, that discouraging look that seemed to wrong when it was on his face of all people.

Dozing off, I then felt my mind drifting off to other spaces, other times that were far passed. I could suddenly hear one of the songs we used to sing together, ringing in my ears in the background of all of the things I began to see, those memories of the past:

—_Bright, cold silver moon…tonight alone in my room. You were here just yesterday. Slight turn of the head, eyes down when you said 'I guess I need my life to change'. Seems like some things just aren't the same; what could I say?—_

_Takuya was sitting on his bed, staring blankly at the door across the room from him with dully-hued, hardly blinking eyes. In his hand, he grasped his iPod tight enough that his knuckles turned ghostly white. With his index finger of his opposite hand, he fingered the volume, rotating his finger around and turning it up louder and louder and then back down again absent-mindedly. Once in a while he'd adjust the earbuds in his ears so they wouldn't fall out, but all of his moves seemed so robotic, so automatic. I had done this to him…_

—_I need a little more luck than a little bit, 'cause every time I get stuck the words won't fit, and every time that I try I get tongue-tied. I need a little good luck to help me by. I need a little more help than a little bit, like the perfect one word no one's heard yet, 'cause every time that I try I get tongue-tied. I need a little good luck to help me by…—_

_Suddenly, his expression changed. From just that unemotional frown that he had molded onto his lips it turned into something utterly revolted. His eyes narrowed and he looked as though he was about to almost snarl. The song changed. How It Feels by Eleventyseven. It was what we had made our song when we were together and we always sang it when we were by ourselves. I could see that it hit him hard to hear the song playing; his sorrow was twisted into deep anger._

—_I stare up at the stars, I wonder just where you are. You feel a million miles away. Was it something I said? Or something I never did? Or was I always in the way? Could someone tell me what to say just to make you stay?—_

_Much to my surprise, he ripped out the earbuds from his ears and chucked the mp3 player across the room, slamming hard against the door and most likely breaking it. Tears escaped from the corners of his eyes as he merely glared at the iPod with toxic in his gaze. His tears made their way slowly down his cheeks, and he wiped them away quickly without removing his gaze from his target. How could I have caused him so much pain, so much hurt, and have been completely oblivious to it?_

—_I need a little more luck than a little bit, 'cause every time I get stuck the words won't fit, and every time that I try I get tongue-tied. I need a little good luck to help me by. I need a little more help than a little bit, like the perfect one word no one's heard yet, 'cause every time that I try I get tongue-tied. I need a little good luck to help me by…—_

_There was a sudden flash forward and he was standing in the middle of the hallway at school, his face back in that emotionless scowl. Students parted around him, heading out of school for the day, while he stood there not bothering to move. He looked so lost, so without meaning, like his very purpose in life was stolen away from his own hands. His head turned ever so slightly as he watched my figure walk past, paying no attention to him. I saw as the past me stole a quick, angry glance back at him and then went back to preoccupying thoughts._

—_I know it feels like the end, don't wanna be here again. And we could help each other off the ground so we never fall down again. What it takes I don't care; we're gonna make it, I swear. And we could help each other off the ground so we never fall down again…again…—_

_His mouth opened slightly agape as he took a single breath and followed after me. Outstretching his arm in front of him, he tried to reach for me. Students crossed his path and blocked his way periodically, so he had to weave and dodge just to gain ground. My figure disappeared within all the others around, since my uniform matched with all of the other girls' that were in this school. But his face tightened, determination filling his fiery eyes and his face a hard, flat line._

—_I need a little more luck than a little bit, 'cause every time I get stuck the words won't fit, and every time that I try I get tongue-tied. I need a little good luck to help me by. I need a little more help than a little bit, like the perfect one word no one's heard yet, 'cause every time that I try I get tongue-tied. I need a little good luck to help me by…—_

_He burst out the school doors and ran down the stairs. One foot missed a step and he fell to the concrete, wincing in pain and catching the attention of all those nearby aside from my still-moving figure. Why was I so heartless, even as he ignored the blood seeping from new wounds on his arms and legs and continued after me? He shouted after me, "Mirai! Mirai, stop!" His legs were thrust into a sprint, despite the pain that was evident on his face._

—_I know it feels like the end, don't wanna be here again. And we could help each other off the ground so we never fall down again…—_

_I turned, my eyes filled with such anger and hatred for him, holding an annoyance that didn't cease wondering why he was persisting with following me like some helpless puppy. He ran to me, his hand grasping one of the larger wounds he sustained in the fall on his opposite arm. As his words came out of his mouth, was there actually…actually… fear? Did I make him afraid of me? After all I did and said, he went against his fear to try to make amends? "Mirai, I—" _

—_What it takes I don't care; we're gonna make it, I swear. And we could help each other off the ground so we never fall down again…—_

_I remembered how much I hated him. I saw the rage that was written on my face whenever he tried to speak to me. It was so unmistakable in how my eyes narrowed and my irises turned a deep, crimson red. In an instant, he was on his knees, blood seeping out the corner of his mouth. "Just shut the _fukku_ up, Takuya! I don't care what you have to say to me! Nothing you could possibly conjure from that stupid head of yours can change anything!" I screamed, my nails digging into my hand from making a tight fist. I grabbed the collar of his shirt and brought him up to his feet again. I began to scream at him, swearing in words with meanings out of context, yelling about things that weren't even his fault. I just blamed him for everything going wrong in my life, things that didn't involve him much, or even at all. I was so angry, filled with such aggravation that it all appeared to me to be his doing. And he needed to pay for his misdoings. Every single one of them. _

—_I need a little more luck than a little bit, 'cause every time I get stuck the words won't fit, and every time that I try I get tongue-tied. I need a little good luck to help me by. I need a little more help than a little bit, like the perfect one word no one's heard yet, 'cause every time that I try I get tongue-tied. I need a little good luck to help me by…—_

"_Mirai, I'm sorry. Whatever your angry about, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'll take the heat for everything. C'mon, breathe. Just breathe. Take the world off your shoulders and put it on me." He wiped the blood his mouth and stared directly into my eyes, the world growing into a tense, deep silence. It was as if the entire world stopped all that was happening just for these few moments. "Please…Can't you just smile? Nod? Something that just shows me you still have some of your old self."_

—_I know it feels like the end, don't wanna be here again. And we could help each other off the ground so we never fall down again…—_

"_Something that shows you that I'm still weak, needy, dependent on the likes of you?" Instead of continuing, my face lightened the smallest amount, a hardly noticeable amount, and I let go off his collar. Silently, I turned, gripping the strap of my school bag tightly, walked away from a Takuya that showed the smallest amount of satisfaction. I knew not why he would sustain the blows just to see the remnants of my more lighthearted self, but some feeling inside him that told him to go through it all made the tears come to the corners of his eyes and put on the smallest of smiles._

—_What it takes I don't care; we're gonna make it, I swear. And we could help each other off the ground so we never fall down again…—_

"Takuya…" Cold tears rolled down my cheeks and threw my arms around his waist and buried my face in his shirt. "You were sent from God, weren't you?" The words formed themselves on my lips and before I knew it, they were out. I couldn't grasp how he stuck it through to the end like this, and in the end could give his words of forgiveness. Maybe this was the reason that we were both sent here; to make the amends I refused to before.

I could feel his body heat up from my words. "Well, I—I wouldn't say that…" I felt him fidget uncomfortably under the awkwardness I put him in with both my words and compulsive actions. And after a long, tension-filled pause, he then said, "We should probably get back to the others before anything bad happens…" and I heard him mumble, trying to disguise the words with a fake cough, "and things get any more awkward…"

Wiping my eyes, I broke a tiny smile, and responded, "Sure." _Man, I've turned into such a sap…_

* * *

"Hey, guys, we're back!" Once we got into the view of the others, Takuya broke out into a jog and met up with them, smiling that oh-so famous goggle-headed grin that everyone couldn't help but love. "Sorry it took so long! Me and Mirai were just talkin' and lost track of time…sorta."

This aroused some sort of little confusion in the head of the lemon-colored bunny Digimon. "You're back? I didn't even know you left! In fact…who are you?" _I swear that rabbit is on crack or something. He's like a little druggie..._

"Missed you too, Neemon…" Takuya responded unsurely, everyone's puzzled glance matching his, all eying the deranged Digimon. Yeah, it was now proven that there was something horribly, horribly wrong with this guy. And the problem was that no one could figure out what it was. It's not like there were other Neemons around to ask; I was beginning to doubt that there actually were any others. Knowing that particular Digimon, chances were that he was the last one of his kind in existence.

JP, since the conversation was obviously going to go nowhere at this point, changed the subject by saying, "Well, at least now we got an answer to what was inside Seraphimon's egg." He walked over to Patamon, who was merely flying in place, looking rather confused as to what was occurring at the current moment.

Zoe clasped her hands together as she appeared on the opposite side of the tanish-orange hamster-thing as JP. "You're sure a cute little fella!" _Despite clearing up our differences, I still detest her girliness...Hmm, is that even a word?_

"And he flies!" Tommy found that to be the once-Celestial Digimon's greatest feature. Although it was pretty cool to fly…

Patamon suddenly grinned and sailed over to Bokomon, coming to rest on his head and looking down at his face. "My PapaMom!" _Isn't he creative? Either he's the creative one or it's these crazy-_oshiri _ dubbers with their lame sense of humor… _**[A/N: But don't get me wrong. I love the English dub's lame jokes!]**

Bokomon moved his eyes upward to look up at his 'adopted son', so to say. By the smile on his face, I could be certain that he was rather touched by Patamon's title for him. "Aww, isn't that adorable! My baby thinks of me of both his papa and mama!"

Instantly, from Patamon and Bokomon's words, DemiVeemon came into my head. Just being reminded of the little blue pain-in-the-butt-I-shall-call-you-Mommy-and-Koji-my-daddy Digimon gave me a stab into the chest. I knew I was wrong about the little guy in the beginning; I thought of him as a nuisance. Well, actually, he kinda was a nuisance. But maybe I didn't tolerate him as well as I should've. _And now he's long gone… _I instantly thought of some of his words, 'Just remember that you really do have friends…' _…Well, he taught me a lesson from all of that. Maybe that was his purpose here in the Digital World, to teach humans what friendship really means... And it seems that he also taught another human a lesson as well; the same lesson. What was his name? Davis? I guess it seems that so many people become blind with their own ambitions that they don't realize just how many people care about them…_

My thoughts were interrupted abruptly by a little peep from Patamon, who was voicing what was currently on his mind. "I'm hungry, PapaMom."

And even though no one was even looking at him to begin with, Neemon responded to that with a half-innocent half-that's-right-now-I'm-the-center-of-attention sort of tone, "Well, don't look at me! I don't even have pockets!"

The white Digimon looked discouraged by this newest obstacle that was just presented, this point of happiness for the new Digimon's arrival turned one of those moments where you stop, look, and say 'oh crap'. "We don't even have a crust of bread…"

The next response of Patamon really surprised the humans of the group. Because, I'll admit, it was rather unusual. "That's okay, I can wait," he replied innocently.

Zoe's hands flew up to her face to emphasize the amount she was impressed with him, almost ready to about hug him by the looks. "That's different! He's so calm!" she remarked with a substantial amount of enthusiasm that I deemed rather unnecessary.

"What a good boy!" _Tommy, he is most certainly not a dog…he's a hamster._

JP's two cents made the most sense and was probably the most agreeable, hence the nodding from the others that proceeded after he said, "He sure doesn't have Bokomon's genes."

And now here came my slightly blonde moment. And I really didn't have them that often, so it was quite the remark. "But Bokomon doesn't even wear jeans!" When people turned to look at me for my outburst, I realized the sort of genes they were talking about. Different genes than I was…

"Stop this nincompoopery at once, you—you nincompoops!" Bokomon thus began one of his famous rants. "I have a starving child here and all you can do is make jokes. I'm utterly appalled at such behavior—" I cut him off, since he was getting actually rather annoying with his complete and perpetual seriousness.

I broke out a small smile. "Don't worry, Bokomon, I got this covered." I reached into my pocket and pulled out the chocolate bar that JP left for me when I woke up those few hours ago. I hadn't bothered eating it, since I threw it in my pocket and forgot about it, so now was probably the best time to get rid of it before it melts in my pocket and makes me smell delectable to any hungry Digimon scavenging for a bite to eat. "Here ya go, buddy." I unwrapped it and broke a piece off before proceeding to hand the chunk over to the newborn. "Don't choke now."

His face lit up at the sight and scent of the fresh milk chocolate. "Thank you, Mi-chan!" he exclaimed happily, taking the chocolate in his paws and devouring it in nearly an instant. I smiled slightly at the name that the little Celestial just gave me and gave him another piece. "This is so nummy!" _If he has too much, he's gonna be wired and be flying around like a drunk—holy crap, he's a flying pig! That's what the little dude is! So much for hamster…_ **[A/N: yes, I just realized Patamon is a flying pig. And this whole time I thought he was a hamster…]**

Takuya slung his arm around my shoulder, and grinning at me, he said, "You really are good with kids! You know, you and Koji'll be great parents someda—" WHACK! "Ow…Okay, never mind. Man, I thought you were done with violence…" He rubbed the newly-planted handprint on his cheek.

I shrugged with a wry grin now placed upon my face. "What can I say? Old habits die hard…"

But his words instantly brought the Warrior of Light into my head. I pulled out my D-Tector and stared down at the screen thoughtfully. I wondered about his location at current and just how much danger that boy put himself into. He was pretty successful at hurting himself, since he fell down a heck of a lot, so that probably meant that he attracted enemies like flies. _But who doesn't want a little bit of that sexy—no, wrong time for that…_ I shook my head and sighed. Stupid teenage hormones.

"Aw, _fukku_! And you know what else dies hard?"

Sakkakumon's large, green figure descended from the darkness above, his body blinking a white light. Now his body had big, puffy red lips on the uppermost sphere and somehow, he managed to look even creepier than normal, since now he was actually more of a threat, it seemed. The way he towered over us in that certain angle and was enveloped in a dark haze made him almost look like peas hooked together with toothpicks. The thought probably would've amused me if I wasn't unnerved.

He began to laugh that sinister Mercurymon-laugh and was squirming wildly in midair, his body blinking faster and faster, enough that Takuya stared in vexed uncertainty and exclaimed, "Check it out! He's twitching like he's about to strike!"

"No," I objected, "He's twitching like he's having a seizure!" _Or just a really bad spazz attack…_ I noted in my head, grasping my D-Tector tighter in my hand. Why did things have to come back to try to kill us after we think they're dead?

"Why is he doing that?" Zoe questioned, holding her hands up to her chest and watching worriedly. She was asking a pretty good question that I was sure that almost everyone was asking themselves at that particular moment.

"I'm not sure I really want to know," Bokomon replied, sounding almost bored with this whole situation. He then proceeded to pull his pink waistband, looking up at Patamon expectantly in waiting for a complying action. "Hurry, Patamon, get in."

Patamon looked rather hesitant with this suggestion. "But PapaMom, I don't think I can fit in there anymore. You're too big!" Bokomon's eyes shrunk.

"Oooh, burn," I noted with a smirk.

Sakkakumon then emitted a blinding white light, causing everyone in the group to throw their arms up to shield their eyes. But even with that and the addition of closing my eyes, I could still feel the burn through my eyelids. And that definitely wasn't a good sign, especially when that all-too familiar laugh erupted and the voice that was a complete duplicate to Mercurymon's rang out, "Behold! The Legendary Warriors! I must congratulate thee!" _Aw crap, that accent…_ "'Tis true that thine efforts hath given thee more power than even _I _couldst dream of!"

I ogled at him with a distressed feeling that had the likeness as if you swallowed the pit of a peach in my stomach. "I don't like the sound of that—does anyone here like the sound of that? If Mercurymon was able to deal all of hell, then a Beast Spirit can do a hellova lot more." My fingers lightly stroked the cold metal of my D-Tector, close to and ready for the clicking of that same side button that had saved my _oshiri _countless amounts of times.

Sakkakumon's body gathered together into a spherical shape and began to rotate wildly. "Thunder Fist!" One of the red and white bull's eyes on one of his green orbs pointed directly at us, glowing with the symbol for Thunder and shot a bolt of lightning, causing us to scatter while watching him with substantial amounts of perplexity. He shouldn't have been able to do that. So, then, how did he? Unless it was some sort of illusion or dream or something it shouldn't have been possible. He had the Steel Element, not Thunder. _There has to be something behind this…_

"Hey! What's the deal? He's stealing my thunder!" JP whined.

"Now is not the time for horrible puns," I growled, not in the mood for grotesque jokes that the Warrior of Thunder might manage to come up with. But at least no one even bothered to laugh; otherwise, it'd just show they didn't realize what kind of crap we're stuck in again.

"Yeah, that's Beetlemon's attack!" Takuya apparently didn't catch JP's play on words or my threat. But at least he was focused on what he should've been: The big Beast Digimon staring—wait, he doesn't have eyes—down at us like he'll just mow us down at any given moment. Although easily that could've been what he was planning.

The Beast of Steel began to spin again, that crazy, homicidal grin still on his face the entire time. "And now, one for the ladies! Hurricane Wave!" The pink beams of Wind cast down and forced us to hit the deck, narrowly being shot just above our heads. Any closer and some of us would've been lacking heads.

Zoe glared at the Beast, holding her hands up to her chest. It must've been rather upsetting to have your own attack fired at you and threatening your life. It was just like Mercurymon's Dark Reflection attack, except on a much larger scale. "That's just not right!"

"Let's show him how it's really done!" Takuya, his face tightening into a half-glare to portray his deep determination and resolve, made momentary eye contact with each of the Warriors as if he was trying to transmit his thoughts into our own minds, ambition burning like a fierce fire in his irises. I knew that look all so well. He pulled out his D-Tector from his pocket and the screen glowed with the symbol that was once on Seraphimon's DigiEgg and Fusion evolved into Aldamon.

JP came inches from Patamon's confused face as he began to plead with the small Digimon. "Patamon, please tell me the rest of us have the power to Fusion Evolve too!"

"Regrettably, all of Seraphimon's power has been all used up," Bokomon responded, looking rather discouraged as Patamon flew back to him and apologized to his failure to hone such requested power as if it was actually his own fault.

"It doesn't matter. We still have to fight," I cut in, before Zoe could say what it appeared like she was going to. I gave them all a look that said 'C'mon, we have to do this. No time to be lazy', and gripped my D-Tector before me. I received affirmative nods from the other humans and I clicked the side button, grinding it against the ring of Data around my hand. "Execute!" I could hear the echo of the others Spirit Evolving as I felt the Fractal Code wrap around me. "Spirit Evolution!" The feelings and instincts of a Digimon returned to me as I felt the appearance of my Warrior take hold. In a way, it felt refreshing, new. It was like the new car smell almost, except it was a feeling…sorta. "Gryphanimon!"

Sakkakumon snickered, showing all of his freakishly-white teeth in the process. "My turn!" He spun around and a bull's eye glowed with the symbol of Ice. "Blizzard Blaster!" It flashed and a single snowball fired and hit Kumamon, causing him to summersault backwards toward the rest of the Warriors.

"He's got your attack down too?" Kazemon questioned, confused as to what exactly what was going on here that he could use our own attacks against us.

Beetlemon grew wide-eyed. Or at least wider-eyed than he was before. "How's he doing this?"

I stared up the Beast of Steel and tightened my eyes into a glare, like if I looked at him hard enough, he'd get annoyed and just tell me what the deal was with him knowing all of our strategies. "He must have the attacks on some sort of file or something. That way, he can call upon our own abilities as if they're his own. It's nothing less than us fighting ourselves…" Again, I was brought back to the bittersweet reminder of my double, my darker self. How she could do everything I could, knew me move for move. I was literarily fighting myself.

He laughed at my statement. "Thy friend is correct. I lured each of thee into thine own areas to observe thee in battle. Oh how valiantly didst thou fight against my minions. Meanwhile, I meticulously recorded all the attacks thou could muster! Alas, not one of thee suspected the method to my madness, my _deeper _purpose. I must admit, your efforts surpassed even my expectations. The stronger the foe, the greater the response! All in the name of glory, MY GLORY!" _Aren't we self-righteous? _"And now all of thy power can be mirrored by me!"

"You planned this from the beginning," Aldamon stated, having the little light bulb come on in his head. "So that's why we had to put up with the stench of fighting inside of you! You were using us!"

My eyes shifted towards the Warrior of Flame. "And this surprises you? He's an evil Shakespearean freak. What do you expect?"

"I relished the thought thine efforts shall be the cause of thine undoing! Oh what fools these mortals be! Give me thy Spirits and the Digital World shall bow before me!"

"Hate to soak your blanket, big mouth, but we're the originals and no crooked copycat's gonna tell us when to call it a day!" Beetlemon lunged upward into flight, charging at Sakkakumon with his arms held in front of him. Throwing a single fist into the air, electricity began to spark out from it. "Thunder Fist!"

The Beast rotated his spheres around and the attack was sucked up into one of the little target-looking circles. The Thunder symbol glowed upon it and two lightning bolts were hurled back. "Thunder Fist Reflection!" Beetlemon was struck directly in the face with the attack and fell down to the ground. Kazemon and Kumamon came to his aid to help him back up to his feet.

"What can we do? When we attack, he returns our attack with even more power!" Aldamon changed his gaze from being on the three Warriors on his right over to me, and then up towards our newest little complication. I had to admit, it seemed pretty difficult to get through him, although I had yet to make my own attempt. Yet I figured it'd probably be pretty futile, since there was no power in my Human Spirit that exceeded the strength of the others.

I didn't remove my eyes from Sakkakumon as I gave him my opinion in answering his question, "We have to think of a good strategy. That should be our first objective, not trying to get ourselves killed. It's useless trying to fight against something like him without some sort of plan."

"But we just can't give up yet!" Kazemon took flight and threw her hands out before he, small twisters of pink wind escaping from her fingertips. "Hurricane Wave!" She cast the attack forth, but it was immediately absorbed and sent back with more force. She crashed to the ground and Aldamon came quickly to assist her. They held a silent gaze for a moment, before Kazemon noted dolefully, "I can't believe I was hurt by my own attack!"

"Most apt. The invention returns to plague the inventor!" I was getting tired of all the Beast of Steel's stupid comparisons. They were getting painfully old really fast.

Aldamon pulled Kazemon back onto her feet. "Enough!" He flew into the air, making Sakkakumon immediately ball up and begin to rotate. "Atomic Inferno!" The golden-colored weapons on the underside his arms, the Rudri Tarpana, expanded to shoot off countless missiles of fire. But he was taken by outmost surprise when it was absorbed into the unique, four-triangle figure on the Beast's head that was just above those creepy pinkish-red lips.

Sakkakumon grinned deviously, well, more than he was a second before. "Atomic Inferno Reflection!" The attack came firing back at us, an almost unavoidable attack.

I curved my wings forward to block the attack from hitting my directly, but I could feel the hot fire burning through my feathers. I grit my teeth in effort to withhold the pain within myself. Then cast my wings back, throwing the attack away from me, and put them back behind me. "A Human Spirit just isn't enough to beat him. We haven't even succeeded in landing a single hit…" I mumbled to myself, beginning to calculating within my head.

"Thine attempts to attack are futile! The reality is thou cannot beat me, or to be more accurate, you cannot beat yourselves!" The Steel Warrior's constant gloats and insults were beginning to annoy the crap outta me. Someone really needed to take him down a peg. "Let's see how thee fair when friend becomes foe!" He spun around and the symbol of Ice appeared. "Blizzard Blaster!" The attack struck down Kazemon as if she was a bowling pin. "Hurricane Wave!" This time Beetlemon was the one knocked back. "Lightning Blitz!" Kumamon was sent tumbling back, somersaulting backwards from the force. "And now, for the most evolved attack of them all, from Aldamon with love! Atomic Inferno!"

I prepared to brace myself for the blow that could easily destroy almost any foe, turning my head away and throwing my arms up. I knew my wings wouldn't protect me this time; they were much too weak for this one. "NO!" I heard Aldamon scream and my eyes peered back in that direction of his voice. I saw him land hard on the ground. He had taken the attack for us all. As he did so many times before this moment. _Why did he continue to save us with no thanks in return?_

"To acquire thy attacks, I made a small sacrifice. But my Human Spirit was nothing when compared to this!" The evil Beast already predetermined his victory; that was obvious. But he underestimated us constantly in the past, so why did he think he could possibly assume our loss so quickly? 'Cause when we fall, we'd get right back up again, but this time he was hoping us to stay down for good—it was possible that he had the strength to make that happen. It all comes from desire.

I balled my fists, but kept them at my sides. "You have no idea what you've stepped into. A Human Spirit may be insufficient against you, but nothing compares to the combined strength of Beasts!" I was surrounded by Data and I felt my form transmuting into the figure and design of my Beast Spirit. "Slide Evolution!" I sensed that static feeling flowing through my body, supplying me with power far beyond what I possessed as Gryphanimon. "Laikasmon!"

"Attacking him individually gives him time to react!" Aldamon advised just as an attack was going to be released, running over to the rest of the group after they had Beast Spirit Evolved as well. "We gotta attack him at the same time!"

I was over by them in one long leap and I agreed, "Yeah, a combined attack might throw him off and confuse him. If we all fire our attacks at once, I can almost promise you that we'll do at least a little damage to him." _But I'm not gonna promise you_, I added mentally, frowning to myself at the thought and making sure no one else saw how discouraged I looked at this point, _'cause something just doesn't seem right here, like he's already expecting everything that was delivered to him._

They all complied to our words and those of us that could take to the sky did so, and we all spread out to hit our adversary from all different angles. Aldamon took charge and called out to us, "Ready?" With no hesitation, he launched Atomic Inferno, MetalKabuterimon released a Bolo Thunder, Avalanche Axes were cast forth from Korikakumon, a Hurricane Gale from Zephyrmon, and I released a Talim Storm attack, seeing my vision going momentarily silver to conjure the attack.

I had never seen something of his size move so quickly. He spun rapidly and sucked up our attacks like a high-powered vacuum. I felt my eyes immediately grow wider than I had ever thought they possibly could when he snickered and sent them all sailing back at us. I instantly found myself on the ground, mangled up in myself with my head still turned to watch as he unraveled himself into his normal shape. "What the hell is up with this guy?" I scoffed to myself, trying to collect my scattered bearings and bringing myself up slowly to my feet. "He's just so fast. There's no way we could keep up with that speed. How can he possibly move with such agility?"

"I fear this is the end!" Sakkakumon proclaimed out to us, still that overconfident smirk on his face. I just wanted to mess up his face so frickin' bad, especially when he started cackling uncontrollably like he did right at this moment.

"What do we do now? He knows all of our attacks!" Korikakumon questioned, turning to the other Warriors for a good answer.

"We never faced an enemy like this!" Zephyrmon noted, sounding worried. It was all in her tone and her blue eyes.

"It's no use; we'll never win," MetalKabuterimon responded, completing this little competition to see just who had the least faith here. _Everyone is being so pessimistic; that's not good for morale. If they think we're gonna a lose, then we will. They should know this…_

"Then what are we supposed to do?" the Ice Beast asked in response.

"Pull back." These words brought confusion to the entire group. We all turned to look at him, questioning through our eyes. "Let's get outta here." His motives were questioned by a few members of our group. "It's our only hope. If we stay here, we're not going to make it. There are times when running away is the only time to win, and this is one of those times. So I say we should just fall back and regroup; it's the best thing to do now." He, Zephyrmon, and Korikakumon returned to their Human Spirits.

I felt like I was standing alone right about this time, like I was the only wanting to continue the fight. "C'mon guys! Don't you remember what happened before? Running away didn't help us with Duskmon, so why do you think it'll work here? Maybe Koji was wrong in having us run away from that battle, maybe he was right. Who knows? But all I know for certain is backing down from a fight doesn't help anything, especially team morale. No army has ever won a battle by giving up and saying 'We'll try again tomorrow'. No, they keep going till the bitter end. And I don't know about you guys, but I really don't feel like being that guy who gives that ugly green Shakespeare the satisfaction in knowing we're backing down 'cause he's too strong for us. So you guys do what you want, but I'm gonna stick it out till I can't fire one more attack. If you really wanna go hide behind a rock, go right ahead, but I'm gonna think of some way to take this guy down, and then do that very thing. So now my next question…who wants to kick some Shakespearean _oshiri_ with me?"

"Hey, I'm the one that gives motivational speeches." I turned to see a frowning Aldamon. But then he suddenly smiled at me, looking sorta proud of something. "…You learned from the best." _Don't get too cocky now, boy…_ "And because I just commemorated you on your four-minute speech—" _What is this? Forensics?_ "—by saying you learned it from me, I'm gonna have to stay and fight along with you; otherwise, it might make my speaking skills look bad."

I gave him the best smile my Beast Spirit could conjure up, this feline-like little grin that moreover looked like I wanted to eat him than thank him. But I quickly turned from him and looked at the Human Spirits of our team. "'Kay, anyone else wanna stick around and duke it out?" Before a response by anyone could be made, Sakkakumon moved with that same speed and made his body into a ring around us, penning us in like a bunch of wandering sheep. "Well, so much for those of you that wanted to run away."

Aldamon took immediate action, speaking quickly and telling us what to do. "Move it! Otherwise we're sunk!" He leapt over the Beast's body barrier, just fast enough to narrowly avoid being hit by Thunder and Wind copy attacks.

The group seemed taken aback slightly, knowing they were completely surrounded by the enemy that just won't go down, and I angrily growled at them, "You heard him! Do you _want_ to be killed mercilessly by this big-lipped, old-English-talkin', overconfidently smug, I'll-kick-your-_oshiri_ freak?" I dug my claws into the dirt and pushed off. I became airborne and found myself having to frantically dodge attacks before getting over to the other side.

They all scrambled to get through, Kazemon and Beetlemon flying over and having to dodge attacks, and Kumamon merely running under the Beast of Steel through one of the small gaps made where one orb connected with another. But if luck would have it, even though we all escaped from there without a scratch, the Beast continued to persist, rolling up into a ball and trying to run us over like roadkill. I had to admit, there wasn't much way to fight that.

We quickly came to a gorge that seemed to go down forever and was left with hardly anything to do but go into it. Well, actually, we could've easily gone over it, but it was _Takuya's _bright idea to go down into it, where for all we knew was a dead end. And we soon figured out that through the tunnels and corridors down there, we indeed find a dead end. And with Sakkakumon staring us down like we'd be his next meal, his body curved like a viper poised up to strike at an unwary hiker passing by, we pretty much were caught between a rock and a hard place. But at a time like this, you always can find yourself thinking the weirdest things. For me, I was wondering why he was glowing like one of those glow sticks that you have to crack for it to light up.

He laughed that same sinister sound that was beginning to grow very old, very fast. "The time is come!" He gathered himself into an orb up by the ceiling once again so he could gaze down at us from above. Probably to make us feel small and weak, that's what I was figuring. But then…darkness. Nothing but blackness.

"He disappeared!" Beetlemon exclaimed, the fear very evident in his voice. I could just barely make out his figure in the dark, and I could see him fidgeting uncomfortably, like he was a little kid feeling out of place at a new school or something.

Kazemon's voice was just about two octaves higher than it normally was. "It's so dark! How can you tell?" I noticed her butterfly-like silhouette looking around for the enemy frantically.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning fell from the sky and we all had to scramble out of the way just so we wouldn't get hit by it. And before we could recover from that attack, fire was shot out at us as well. I could hear their screams echoing, and within their cries, so much fear for the dark. Not the Warrior we were facing, but the dark. It made them see things that weren't there, and those that actually had a presence only drew them farther off of the edge into losing their minds.

"Ah, sweet darkness. Let it embrace thee with its fear and loneliness…Yes, it controls thee now…" Sakkakumon's words came in whispers, as if he was speaking from our very hearts, like he knew our thoughts at that very moment. I automatically felt my heart beginning to race like I was running while standing still. _No letting fear take hold. Fear turns to raging emotions, which all in all, turns back to anger. I can't go back to that again, I've gone much too far to be back at square one again. If I emotions control me, I'll be that same flight risk I was before, a perpetual basket case…_

Sakkakumon suddenly lit up directly behind Beetlemon, making his blood run cold and his motives all go off course. He shot off a Thunder attack, startling Kumamon. The little polar bear quickly pulled out his gun and started shooting Blizzard Blaster attacks all around, hitting Kazemon in the process. Aldamon ran to her and blocked the attack from hitting her.

"Ring around the rosie, a pocket full of fears! Oh, what's the matter? Scared of the dark?" The Beast of Steel was taunting us. He was using fear to bring out the worst qualities in us, to bring forth the little children that dwell within each and every one of us to show just how small and childish we really were. He wanted us to go back, back to that time when we had to sleep with nightlights, when we couldn't go without being tucked in tight and getting a goodnight kiss on the forehead, when our parents had to literally check in the closet and under the bed for the Boogieman. He was trying to resurface the past we always thought we had outgrown.

Before I had arisen from my thoughts, I caught ear of the Warriors arguing with one another, giving claim that Aldamon was merely the leader because he could Fusion Evolve. I turned toward them, my eyes narrowed to make out each one of them. "Guys, don't fight. This is exactly what he wants—he wants us to turn away from each other so he can knock us down one by one without any complications. If you guys need time to recuperate and get your thinking straight, I can hold him off so you guys can get away and do any healing you need. We can't afford to lose team unity, so if you need time—" I was cut off by Beetlemon, who sounded irritated by my words.

"Hey, you can't tell us what to do, either! Heck, before today you were against all that you're ranting about! You were such a jerk before, and now that you've had a little epiphany, you expect to order us around?" he snapped, making my stomach begin to knots as he was speaking.

"Yeah!" Kumamon continued, sounding just as angry as Beetlemon was before him, "Maybe we don't need you here! You said you hated it here, so why don't you just go back to where you belong? Maybe there people will appreciate you being a bully!" _Am I really still a—I thought I changed—Was I fooling myself when I thought I was different? Do they really…do they really still hate me like before? Those smiles they gave me, those friendly gestures…were they all fake?_

I felt like De-Spirit Evolving, curling up into a ball in a remote corner, and just dying. If they really felt that way about me the whole time, even now when I thought I had changed, then why did they be so kind before? Was it just some twisted façade? It just felt like they were holding a knife behind their backs, and just when I was gonna embrace them for a hug, they pulled it out and drove it into my back. Had they learned this tactic from me? When they had witnessed me with that dagger? When they saw me take that life that was the very reflection of my own?

"Guys, stop fighting!" Kazemon's voice echoed louder than anyone else's had. "Fighting with our friends will only give you more enemies! Look at each other! Look at yourselves! Do you really want to be like this? Love each other for your qualities, and accept each other despite your flaws! Right now, who cares what friction may come between you? The only reason why you're fighting is because Sakkakumon has twisted your minds into hiding your own fear by blaming others for it!" If her eyes would've been visible, I probably would've seen a hard tightened gaze. "So straighten up and fly right!"

I could again hear Sakkakumon's whispering, that voice that reminded me of the little voice in my head telling me what to do. "Thou shall fall to thy own emotions. The fear…doubt…anger…jealousy. Let it all overcome thy unwary hearts and bring thee to total despair. For in the darkness, thy end will come. I promise that to thee. By my hand, thou all shall fall in defeat, enslaved by the very emotions that thou battle every waking moment. Let thy blood be spilled upon this very ground…"

The Warriors in Human form stiffened at the words. I could almost hear the words that they didn't vocally say, 'I'm afraid…so afraid…'. Instead of such words, it fell again into chaos, attacks of various type and Element being cast upon each other, combining and blending into a new attack.

Suddenly there was a loud booming noise, and the Warrior of Flame's voice called out, "Stop it! No more fear! With faith, we can win!" And this, I knew, was the beginning of one of his famous four-minute speeches that I apparently learned from.

Except the Warrior of Thunder wouldn't let him finish. "Sorry, pal, but faith alone ain't—" I cut Beetlemon off, just as he had done to me.

"Let him speak!" I growled, my inner Beast making that demand.

Aldamon gave me a nod and stated, "There's still only one of him."

Again Beetlemon had to give him his pessimistic words. "Yeah, but that hasn't stopped him from beating us so far, has it?"

"Close your eyes." There was a long pause as the others looked at him in confusion. And I had to admit I was a little hesitant to do so as well, since that'd give Sakkakumon a chance to strike when we were completely open to attack. That'd just make us sitting ducks here. "I said close your eyes!"

I let my eyes disappear into a darkness deeper than what was in that cave. Aldamon's voice came, "We're not humans anymore; we're Digimon. Our senses are sharper than when we're in our human forms. You have to trust the Digimon inside you." We opened our eyes and I instantly saw the others joining hands in a circle.

I narrowed my eyes at the scene. "Wow, that's…kinda gay."

The others turned to look at me skeptically, I shrugged indifferently, and Aldamon decided to continue without making a comment about my latest words, "All of us are not alone. Our power lies in the faith we have in one another. Even if you can't Fusion Evolve, we can still use all of our attacks together."

"We can use our attacks…"

"…All together..."

"…To win."

"Right…and when you're finished, I believe you have a little something to give me?" Sakkakumon questioned, lighting up his body to illuminate the whole room. _Man, I can't believe he waited for us. He coulda killed us all when we were fighting…_

Kazemon and Kumamon instantly nodded to each other. Kazemon released a Hurricane Wave and Kumamon used Blizzard Blaster. The two attacks combined together and swirled in a powerful twister that struck the Beast of Steel directly in the face, causing him to cry out and then question in distinct confusion as to what had just happened right there at that moment and why he was just hit by an unknown attack, "I do not have that attack in my records!"

"Of course you don't! Because that attack's never been used before, buddy!" the Fusion Warrior of Flame exclaimed, a small smirk on his face at this. I bet this really made him feel super accomplished now; his head's gonna be so big, he won't be able to fit through the exit.

As Kazemon and Beetlemon did their own combo attack, a thought came to me. I turned to Aldamon and said, "Hey, he hasn't seen any of the Polymerization Spirit's attacks, has he?" The Flame Warrior's grin grew increasingly larger. "All right then…" I De-Spirit Evolved into my human form and again pressed the button on my D-Tector. "Execute!" Copper Fractal Code appeared around my hand and I bashed my D-Tector against it. "Polymerization Spirit Evolution!" I was suddenly aware of new smells, sights, and sensations. I was aware of so many things so suddenly, as if I had been walking around with a blindfold on and now someone took it off so I could see everything how it was meant to be experienced. "Ryoushinmon!"

We all stood in a line, one force against a single evil that was now beginning to visibly tremble. I smiled and let my voice boom, "No matter how much you try, Sakkakumon, fear is not a controllable weapon. It's only usable by the beholder, and wielding it is the only way to overcome it. You try as you may to cause divisions with it, but you should know by now we're stronger than that. Sure we have our occasional bickering and arguments, but if we really were divided, you could've taken us out a hell of a lot earlier. And so now, maybe you should be the one that's afraid."

Aldamon eyed me, looking both pleased and a little annoyed at me. "Again with taking my speeches?"

"No matter what you do, I can't lose. There's nothing you can do. I won't lose to the likes of you!" The fear was now evident in Sakkakumon's voice and his body was quivering like that seizure I thought he was having earlier. "I am superior! You little whelps can't defeat me! You will never survive my power!" _What happened to your old English, buddy?_

"You know what they always say! Never say never!" The Warrior of Flame balled his fists as our foe yelled at him and began to rotate, readying himself to attack. But any attacks he sent were easily dodged and maneuvered around. "We're not gonna run! And we're not afraid! And together, we'll destroy you once and for all!" Suddenly, his eyes grew wide. "The center orb! He's never attacked us from there; it's always been covered up! That must be where he's controlling all the Data he's been storing. If we could get him to stop moving, even for just a second, it might give a clear shot at him." He looked at the others one by one. "I have an idea. Can you guys hold him still for a while?"

"I'm with you, Takuya," I told him as the others complied, pulling out my sword from its sheave. I fingered the cold metal and looked at a symbol emblazoned upon the center of the cross-guard. My Digimon conscience revealed to me that it meant Soul. I waited, watching the three Human Warriors tease the Steel Beast, going around and around him for a place to attack and he followed their every move. And then after a lot of spinning…_Is Sakkakumon…getting dizzy?_

The three struck him hard while he was wavering and trying to collect himself. The attack and his distraction momentarily immobilized him and I gave Aldamon a smirk. He questioned to me, "Ready?" I gave him a 'You know it look' and so he readied his Rudri Tarpana. They glowed a mix of red and gold as he thrust his arms forward and let all of hell rain down. "Atomic Inferno!"

As the missiles of fire struck the center orb, I gripped my sword tight in my hands and jumped up. The sword glowed bright white and a cold mist enveloped it like a gentle, moist fog. "Kiyomero Buredo!" I poised myself and drove the blade directly into the symbol of his main orb. "I'd say I had fun inside you, but I really didn't. You can come back when you _don't_ have sick games to play." I yanked the sword out brutally and dropped to the ground, Sakkakumon's Fractal Code appearing at that instant.

"Time for some purification." Aldamon pulled out his D-Tector and held it out. "The final chapter to a long and over-written book!" He clicked the side button and whipped it forward. "Fractal Code! Digitize!" The little caterpillar-looking figurine was sucked up into his D-Tector and the DigiEgg floated away.

I smiled. "Thank God, he's gone!" I flopped over onto my back and De-Spirit Evolved, letting out a loud sigh. "I hope we don't run into another bad guy for a very, very long time. Anyone else fine with not meeting another Cherubimon goon ever again?" Responses that agreed with me reverberated in the cave. "Then we should just stay here forever. And maybe no one could ever ever find us. No more battles, no more getting our butts kicked by unnecessary filler enemies…"

Even though my words didn't say so, I found my mind wandering back to more serious matters. While I was lying here just taking my sweet time going through the motions, where was Koji? Was he all right? My sense of better judgment told me so, just merely for the fact it was Koji and he could handle almost anything thrown at him, slow pitch or fastball. But there was this little twinge in the back of my mind that made me thing there was something that was going to happen—if it hadn't already. Something fate-turning, something we're not just gonna walk away from in the same way we walked toward it. _Whatever it is, was, or shall be…_

I came up to my feet and we began out of the cave. A melody came to my head, the of the song that Takuya had quoted when I spoke to him earlier, _Let go of our fear, let go of our doubt. Let go of the ones who try to put you down. You're gonna be fine, don't hold it inside. If you hurt right now, then let it all come out…Breathe, just breathe. Take the world off your shoulders, put it on me. Breathe, just breathe. Let the life that you live be all that you need…_


	33. Chapter 31

**GOOOMEN NASAI! It's been so long since I posted anything in this fanfiction! I got so distracted with school and extracurricular stuff and all sorts of things! But worry not! I have finally finished a chapter! *big sigh* I put so much time and thought into this one, it's not even funny. And the kicker is that I really didn't plan any of this; if you looked at my chapter outline, thirteen out of the sixteen pages of this aren't mentioned. Yeah, I'm good at disobeying myself.**

**Anyway, for the most part, inspiration for this chappie came from the song What Hurts the Most by Rascal Flatts (or the Cascada version. your choice.) and the end was inspired by Best of Me by Sum 41. **

**Okay, as for informational crap, I realized that in this, Takuya gets very angry and when I make him very angry, he reminds me of Takato in Tamers with the death of Leomon and stuff. Also, DemiDevimon's attack the Demi Dart is mentioned in here. I imagine it to actually look like a dart or thorn; I didn't know what it actually looked like until I watched episode 11 of Data Squad, just a few minutes _after _writing the part. Irony.**

**Oh yes, on another note, I posted a very very crappy one-shot on Christmas that coincides with this fanfic, and of course, like all the other Frontier things I've written, it was flamed. So to all you people that think it's a good idea to completely rip on something someone put a lot of time into, think again. I apologized for my crappy work, since I just wanted to get the story done with, it was 2:30 in the morning, you _think_ I'd actually write something worthwhile? Yea, not really, kiddies. So three words to all: Just. Don't. Flame.**

**Aaaanyway, enough of my mindless babbling, here FINALLY is chapter 31! :D**

* * *

Chapter 31

"At least we're all mostly together. I'd hate to be out there all alone." Zoe broke the silence that had filled the group as we stood above the chasm where we had just dealt Sakkakumon his fair end. She clasped her hands together, smiling in the optimism that had oh-so suddenly filled our little group. I honestly couldn't feel it at neither a time nor a place such as this. The Dark Continent. Missing one comrade. How could you be optimistic at a time like this one?

JP added to the reasons on my list just to keep negativity, "I bet it doesn't bother Koji." Despite what he said not being at all in such a nerve-wracking manner, it still brought up things that could cause much mental brooding and contemplation. Koji was the base of these things.

Takuya said the thing that was on my mind, what had been lingering there since we had been separated at the first encounter of that Beast of Steel. "Well, yeah. If he's okay." He looked at the suddenly-dismayed expressions on all of the members of his team as we all died down into an awkward silence. By this time, I was pretty sure that we all were thinking about the exact same thing, and if not, it was all relatively about the evil that still loomed in the Digital World. I could be certain of this fact now; they weren't as self-involved as I had originally anticipated.

I looked off into the dark horizon where I thought the sun should've been, had it been able to shine in this area. _All I want is a light to shine here…It's so dark, so tainted, so…so evil…_ I shook my head, feeling a breeze flow over my skin and through my hair. _Hell, I don't even remember ever seeing the moons here…Bringing light here is like telling a dead star to shine. Meaningless when seeing what this place has become already… But then again, anything—any_one_—can change, given the chance. I should know that better than most of the others here. After all, I'm the one that needed that change the most. The others were all right as they were, but…_ I stopped my thoughts abruptly, instantly picturing how corrupt my double had become. And I had to remember, she was merely a shadow of _me_. I was like _that_. Reflecting on what was, I was just like this place. Empty, without hope of being brought to light.

_But… now I think that all things can be purified. But only if they want it._

"Takuya. Don't talk about that…" The words rolled off my tongue, sounding robotic and void of all the emotions that could've been placed in the tone of my voice. My eyes locked in place, in that same direction that the sun should've been. At the sudden voicing of my thoughts, the other Warriors turned to look at me in astonishment. It wasn't often that I commanded something that affected my own feelings, though they were highly used to me scoffing a command merely rooted from irritation.

I could see the Warrior of Flame barely out of the corner of my eye, his mouth straight horizontal. I didn't like it when I was the one to make his face look like that. That expression of slight remorse. It hurt when I made it exude stronger regret; hurt much, much more. This was bearable, as he answered quietly, "S…sorry, Mirai." _I don't understand it. We're on such formal terms now; what are we? Acquaintances? You call me Mirai, I call you Takuya. And with such firmness…_

Zoe suddenly lit up with excitement, practically bouncing her way over to me. The way she got in my face reminded me of a bug flying around buzzing annoyingly. If only I could swat her. "C'mon, Mirai! Don't be all negative; there're plenty of things to be happy about right now! We just defeated Sakkakumon, you, Koji, and Takuya got new Evolutions, Seraphimon's DigiEgg hatched! Can't I just see you smile once? Stop being a half-empty, and be a half-full for once."

I made sure my answer was low, and I avoided the gazes of everyone else, all who were looking at me because of my pessimism. "Not until I see Koji…" I whispered primarily to myself, my eyes drifting up to the sky. I wished there was one sign of the Inheritor of Light, one sign for me to gain my reassurance and confidence. My head knew Koji was fine, since he knew the necessities to survival and a substantial amount of self-defense, even as a normal human. But my chest was tight and my heart was thudding like hard knocks on a door, driving blood at a rapid pace throughout my loins.

At this Zoe made the girliest giggle I've ever heard, something that really shouldn't have surprised me as much as it did. Though it really made me regret my last statement. Her eyes got into a heck of a lot of suspicion put into them and she gave me a devious smirk. "So exactly what is the relationship between you and Koji? Seems pretty suspicious now that we know you're a girl, and you two always seemed to spend an _excessive _amount of time together…" She trailed off dauntingly, signifying she knew that I knew that she knew what was going on here. And all I could be certain of was that it wasn't the best of things that this particular conversation came up with these specific group members present.

I crossed my arms, tilting my head away from eyeshot of the lavender-attired Wind Warrior, feeling the blood turning my ears a shade of red. My cheeks were probably soon to follow suit. "We understand each other; we talk to each other because we find it's possible to relate to each other's issues. Nothing more than that. Any other assumptions I can find reason to disagree with?" I figured I handled that pretty decently; no stuttering or anything that would completely blow my cover. That's exactly what I was going for.

But Zoe remained in my face, still that smile on her face. She waved her index finger while shaking her head. "You know what?" I didn't bother answering since I knew she'd continue without a word from me anyway. And she did quite quickly. "I think you're lying." She obviously noticed my face tighten like it was put into a vice being cranked tighter and tighter. It made her clasp her hands together and fold her fingers in anticipation. Her beaming had grown and spread from one ear to the other. "Aw! You _are_ lying! You know, you're not so good at it anymore, now that you've opened up!" This seemed to be too much for her to take. "That's so cute! You two are so compatible, it's unbelievable! Did you guys have your first kiss yet?"

I spun around, my whole body on fire like someone hogtied me and threw me in a volcano, feeling like ripping my hair out from the roots. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" My suddenly-ignited anger only made her laugh, and I pinched the bridge of my nose to keep from hurting her. Why was there always something that kept annoying me and nagging truths right out of me? I thought I was done with this by now, ever since I had gotten out of the Beast of Steel and was pretty cool with the other Warriors. Guess not.

Meanwhile, the other humans (and the three Digimon that were also in tow, two of which were only mimicking the human's expressions) were merely watching, looking highly dumbfounded. I could bet that the majority of them hadn't thought about underlying romances between Warriors, and because of that particular thought spurring, were beginning to turn slightly pink. Although the most notable of these expressions was Takuya's, who was beet red and staring intently down at his shoes to keep from making eye contact. _Who is he thinking about?_

The group went down into silence, but the only one that was actually actively thinking hard was Zoe, who seemed sort of proud of herself for stumbling across such a discovery as she just had. And this silence was rather short-lasted, as Patamon lost interest in this since he most likely didn't understand what we were talking about and taking to the air with his little paws moving in expectancy, he piped up, "Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"

"We'd love to, but we kinda have to know where." JP broke the humans' awkwardness as he answered the little Digimon's request with his little sense of logic.

Bokomon nodded affirmatively in accordance with JP's words, advising with his large store of wisdom, even though his words were plainly known as Common Sense, "Yes. Let's not all go rushing off in all directions." He seemed to glance around in order to be sure that no one did just what he informed against. He gained a satisfied expression when he noticed that no one had gone to wander. _We're not that stupid, you know. What do you take us for?_

Neemon lacked this said Common Sense, turning to his smarter Digimon friend and questioning, "You can do that?"

"Let's see…" Bokomon narrowed his eyes at the bunny and reached for his waist band.

As Bokomon stretched Neemon's waste band farther than I ever assumed possible, JP continued talking as if nothing beside him between two of the Digimon was even taking place, "We spend—" SNAP! "—half our time in this world wandering around lost."

Takuya frowned, looking rather annoyed that we were getting absolutely nowhere. "Let's just pick a direction and get moving." His eyes shifted around to each of us who were watching him, waiting for a suggestion from us. No response from any other Warrior came. And even if we did have an idea, which the chances were pretty slim at a time and place such as this, it was probably too insignificant to even relate to the conversation, because at this point, we just needed someone to blurt out a direction.

Patamon's face grew really bright and his eyes began to shine like the stars (or at least the stars outside of the Dark Continent; I didn't really figure there were any here) as he began to fly forward excitedly, proclaiming, "I pick this way!"

The Warrior of Flame shrugged, hearing no objections from anyone else. "Works for me. Beats standing around yakking."

We began to tread forward in what could be our attempt to find at least something worthwhile. The land was completely desolate, like a cold, dreary desert. I was beginning to wonder how things could even thrive here when the thought came to my head that nothing actually _does_ thrive here. _Great, we're wandering around in a total wasteland without any telling just how close Cherubimon and all of his minions are away from us. It's like walking straight into the lion's den with meat strapped to our clothes._ I tried to shove my worries out of my head, but they just kept coming. _I know Koji is holding up all right; after all, he's the most resourceful of any of us, but still…_

I stared down at my shoes while they slid in an unimpressed manner across the dusty ground. My hands shoved in my pockets, I tried my hardest not to show how cold I was by making my body tight and unable to make any unwanted movements. I didn't want any of the Warriors' charity; I couldn't accept that after not repaying them for everything else they provided me with, and especially after what I had done to each and every one of them. If I took anything else from them, I'd have it marred on my conscience like a red wine stain on a white carpet.

My eyes drew upward to the black, downcast sky. It almost hurt me to see it in that sort of condition, like having a bit of deranged apathy towards it. I wanted to see the bright blue sky past it all, the sun that was just begging to shine here, the life that prayed to grow that still lingered beneath the soil just waiting for a chance to be free. I wished there was still some hope for this place to changed into what it should be like; that once we took down the evil forces that had their fingers sunk into the Digital World, this place would be purified and made into a beautiful paradise.

_But maybe…maybe this is how the Dark Continent is supposed to be, how it has always been since the Digital World's birth, and even if we defeat Cherubimon and eliminate the evils that exist here, it won't change what this wasteland has become…_ I shook my head at the thought. _No, even if it remains like this after our work is done, I'll be back here. I'll plant seeds and care for them by myself. It doesn't matter what it's supposed to look like; I don't wanna leave it looking so helpless and dead._

Feeling rather accomplished with my conclusion, smiled slightly. But it was only then I realized that I had stopped walking and the rest of the group and unknowingly left me behind. Glancing quickly around, they were nowhere in sight and I was all alone in the emptiness that seemed to be drawing only closer and closer to me. My eyes grew wide, and I listened for the sounds of their voices, but hearing nothing but the wind swirling around me, I let out a single word, "…Uh-oh."

Suddenly the feeling of being alone in the Digital World felt very different than before. Even when I wandered on my own without a Spirit I had no real problem with it, but now…I wasn't really sure how it made a huge difference now. All I knew was panic twanged in back of my mind like one of those big gongs used in temples. There was really nothing I should've been worried about, since I had three different Spirits to help me along, and yet…

"BLAARG!" A blur of blue flew right past my face, scaring the crap outta me and making me yelp. Whatever it was, laughed at me and came from behind, striking me on the back and knocking me down onto my face. When I sat up, he landed before me in a combatant pose and it was then I got a good look at him. He was a fairly small, round Digimon. He had fairly large bat wings protruding from the sides of his body and light blue feet with red claws. There was a white skull design on his forehead and his bright yellow eyes stared at me like I was lunch meat. He had this big, toothy Grinch smile that made me wanna pop him in the face for whatever reason. Old habit, I figured.

I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to piece together just why he would be so…him. He was a little over a foot tall, yet he had the guts—or stupidity—to try to take on me, easily being over four times his height. "Okay, who the hell are you and why are you so…violent?"

He seemed to be waiting for a chance to give an introduction, because right then, his eyes grew wider with anticipation and his grin grew larger and creepier still. _Resist urge to punch, resist urge to punch…_ "I am DemiDevimon! I am the one that'll be kicking your butt!"

_Wow, way to be blunt._ "How do you figure?" I tapped my fingers on my legs in anticipation. _Is this guy really as dumb as he looks? Or is he trying to play me? Naw, I doubt it. He doesn't even look like he'd belong as one of Cherubimon's pets. More like the soccer ball they'd play with. Which gives me an idea…Hehehe…_

"Because I've been working hard towards my goal! You're just one of the many stepping stones I need to walk across to reach it!" He got this big flame in each of his eyes, like he could go and climb a mountain with just that newly-sparked ambition. _He's not serious, is he?_

I waited for him to continue, but he stopped, the silence taking over. I had thought for certain he would have something else to add or brag about or something. Finally, I questioned, a cue for him to keep going, "And this goal would be…?"

It seemed like my question triggered something from deep down inside him, because this got him excited. Very excited, "WORLD DOMINATION, BABY!" [insert maniacal laugh that sounds creepily similar to Tadase's from Shugo Chara here]

An unenthusiastic, flat exhale escaped from my frowning lips, my eyes narrowed into straight lines around my bored purple irises. There was something totally familiar about this. _Why do I always meet these crazy psychopaths? Do I just have a quality that draws them to me?_ "Hey, uh, buddy?" _Woah. That's a sign showing too much time with Takuya. Maybe something should be done about that. Something really major._ "I really don't think you want to fight me."

A knowingly-devious glint appeared in his eyes. "Oh, afraid to fight me 'cause your friends aren't here to back you up?" _Wait, how did you know about that?_

I rubbed my rather humiliated face with my right hand, groaning. _Was he just watching and waiting for someone in our group to get separated?_ I decided to get back to his rather cliché supposedly-threat-sounding question. "No, I just don't wanna hurt something so harmless."

And this really knocked him off the edge into the deep end. I thought his eyes were gonna pop clear out of his head. "HARMLESS? I'll show you _harmless_!" _Is he about to try to let hell loose here? _"Put up your dupes, Girly!"_ I guess he's really serious…_

"Fine…" I refrained from shaking my head, and tolerated his attitude (but not without another groan on my part), putting my fists up without any real intention of combat. But he did.

He lunged.

Out of instinct and reflex, I found myself grabbing him by his wings and dropkicking him off into the near distance. He yelled the whole time, until he hit the ground on the other side of a hill. I heard a thud that told me he made contact and a cloud of dust rose from his impact. And then…silence.

My head was automatically shaking in unenthused dismay. "Well, I better go and see if he's okay…" I made my way over and stopped when I reached the hilltop. And there I saw him lying, facedown and sort of mangled (well, as mangled as something round as he was can get), in a DemiDevimon-shaped crater. I didn't think I kicked him that hard. "…Oops." I darted over to him, bent over, and just stared at him, waiting for him to notice there was a human looming over him. "Yo. Dude…You, uh… alive?"

He suddenly popped out of his little crater and leered at me, evil in his eyes. "Silence, Lady! Does it _look _like I'm done kicking your butt?"

I felt my eyebrow twitching. _What am I? Some little commoner you can trounce around to fit your world-domination-seeking schemes?_ "Sorry, but it doesn't look like you'd be the one doing butt-kicking here. Don't forget about the one that just dropkicked you over a hill." I crossed my arms and gave him a disbelieving expression, despite how stupid that last statement I made sounded. Sometimes, the truth had its lack of common sense.

It was as if he didn't even bother listening to me. "C'mon, give me your best shot! I'm far from done!"

My face twisted to show my annoyance. _Seriously? Maybe this will convince him…_ I pulled out my D-Tector, clicked the side button and scanned the bronze Fractal Code that circled my hand. "Execute! Polymerization Spirit Evolution!" The power of Ryoushinmon filled my body and her armor covered my skin, despite how unnecessary all of this was. The feeling of Spirit Evolution had grown on me, like a tasty little addiction. Maybe it was the love of power that every single person had deep down inside them. "Ryoushinmon!"

He let out an automatic yelp. The fact of my ability to change into a Digimon—a Warrior no less—seemed to hit him pretty hard, especially being like a giraffe compared to a cricket in height. He frowned and his eyes lost their ambitious spark that they had a millisecond before. I actually saw a little fear, but he quickly tried to wipe that off his face so I couldn't see it, but it was kinda late for that. "I guess it will do to have one ally. A little buddy to call on when the time calls."

I flipped my multi-colored hair off my shoulder, not really sure how to feel about his last statement. "Uhh…sure. A buddy."_ Will I still be "your buddy" when you rule the world? Will I get my little portion of the Digital World for being "your buddy"? Yeah…dream on, dude. You're not cut to be a world ruler, you're just a delusional nutcase trapped in your blind ambitions._ So now, feeling that he meant no harm to me, I quickly De-Spirit Evolved and shoved my Digivice back into my pocket.

Eyeing me suspiciously, he then demanded rather smugly, like I'd be intimidated by his question, "What's your name?"

"Kaz—er, Mirai Kimishima," I responded, my own name feeling rather strange in my mouth, being used to using and responding to my alias Kazuma Imouto. It had been quite a while since I formally introduced myself truthfully. With a long-lasting cross-dressing session (not that I liked it) and a guy alias to boot, it made for a strange thing to use my actual identity. But then again, it was rather appealing to be honest, with myself and with others. Like some sort of compression that was put on my lungs was cut off and removed. "So…exactly why do you want…uh, world domination?" I felt like a moron asking that question. It was just so stereotypical.

It was his turn to sigh. He plopped himself down on the ground and mumbled, "Oi. Here it comes…" which I took as a signal to sit down as well. I waited until he began, "You know, you're the first one that actually asked that question without a chuckle or anything." I made a face that said 'oh, is that so?' (even though I honestly didn't want to know) and he continued without missing a beat, "No one loves a DemiDevimon, you know that?" The question was apparently rhetorical, as he didn't let me get a breath in edgewise, "What they told me? 'You're not a Devimon yet; you're just a pathetic little round guy!' they said!" _Well, that is true for the most part._ "And thus, I set upon a quest to prove them wrong! How I see it: Laugh at me when you're kissing my _oshiri_, _subeta_s!"

I blinked a few times and replied flatly, "…Touching."

Man, did that guy have a way with words. He could've gone into a big long sentimental thing where I would've actually probably pitied him, but in reality, he just kinda made himself sound like a bit of a self-centered idiot that wished to enslave his friends. _Great. Something to look forward to._

An awkward silence filled the gaps between us. I sat there with my legs pulled up to my chest, staring out into the distance while still thinking about what he had just said. I figured that I could probably relate to him in certain aspects, but the gorge between his way of thinking and mine kinda negated all of that. His little eccentric…whackadoo-ness was too much for me to take. In my opinion, he was one of those guys that really needed to talk to a therapist about several different topics. _And that being said, I take my leave_, I thought, shooting back up to my feet, giving a quick good-bye (hopefully for forever), and starting to make my way in the direction I thought the other Warriors might've went. I had lost a lot of ground.

"WAIT!"

I froze in my tracks. _Aw, crap._

He flew over and got just mere inches from my face, looking panicked. _A little too close_, I thought, making the proper face to voice this thought. But he ignored it, jumping into haste, "Truth is…!" He trailed off, now realizing what he brought himself into. _Well, spit it out, buddy. I wanna get going soon._ "I'm scared to be alone in the Continent of Darkness!"

The corner of my lip automatically rose up, twisting into a WTH? kind of expression. My eyes narrowed on their own. "…Seriously?" Enthusiasm was lost, not a drop to be found in my voice. My reality was beginning to turn into nothing less than a twisted nightmare. And this dude he was the instigator of it all. Perfect. Just frickin' perfect. Now all I needed was the whole world to explode with me on it and it'd all be complete; I'd have my sweet release from turmoil. But knowing my luck, he was gonna be wherever I ended up as well.

DemiDevimon tried to put on a cutesy act for me, but it didn't really work all that well, knowing that his design was made for just the opposite. "C'mon, darling—" _Okay, what the heck is up with 'darling'? I'm not your freaking girlfriend. And if you start telling people that I am, I'm gonna dropkick you so hard…_ "—I won't get in the way one bit! And I'll even give you your fair share of the Digital World when it's all mine! How does the title Queen of Flame Terminal sound?"

I didn't really stop to think about his offer; all I knew was that 1) he wasn't going to ever rule the Digital world, 2) he wouldn't give me my share even if he did, and 3) he wouldn't shut up until I let him come along with me. That was what I called a win-lose-lose situation. So, this duly noted, I moaned and conceded, "Fine. Come on." I watched his face light up with excitement; this was much too much for him to possibly take without some sort of creepy facial expression. "But if you do anything stupid and get into trouble, don't expect me to come in and save your butt."

This didn't faze him. "Righty-o, partner!" He hopped onto my shoulder, only for me to shove him off right away. I proceeded to give him my don't-touch-me-you-little-creep threat.

"Do that again and you die."

* * *

_I can't stand it. I just can't take it any longer. Why did I put up with it for so frickin' long? I must be stupid. Very, very stupid._

"Oh my gosh, Mirai! Why do you always befriend the _cutest_ Digimon?" Zoe was in my face as soon as I had found my group again. A forest consumed us from every given angle, and because of our current surroundings, a certain little round guy of whose name I will not mention—DemiDevimon. Oops, I lied.—got overly scared and took heed upon my head, his little red talons getting caught in my hair and cutting open my skin, drawing a little blood from my scalp, but luckily it wasn't at all visible, as my thick, dark hair covered it quite well. But even when he wasn't trying to, he was a jerk. And now he was getting "cutie points" from Zoe. That's just great.

I groaned. I really didn't define my little tagalong as 'cute'. "My dang good luck," I retorted flatly, my eyes narrowed and my pupils like pins. "You want some of it? You can go right ahead and take it all." When internally, I was thinking _What luck? I have no luck._

DemiDevimon seemed overly-pleased with the score he was effortlessly earning from the lavender-clad Warrior of Wind. He smirked in a sort of cocky manner, one side of his mouth rising up more than the other. "Hey hey, this chick is all right." He eyed her up, primarily in the chest area. "You can be my queen any day, baby." _You. Frickin'. Pervert._

Glancing at the group members at the remark that I wanted to make sure they knew I had no part in, I saw Takuya give me this look of high disproval. In fact, it moreover appeared like he felt completely violated, like this newcomer—one that wasn't even human, to boot—was invading on _his_ personal territory, this said territory being the fairly-attractive blonde DemiDevimon was now hitting on without knowing even as much as her name. I didn't know if this was because merely his overprotective feelings of being a group leader or not.

"Back off, buddy, she's so far outta your league that you can't even see her league from your level," I retorted emotionlessly, shutting the little creature up in less than two picoseconds (aka a billionth of a second. Thank you, chemistry class.) I decided to take this conversation that could've gotten a whole lot weirder in a different direction for good measure. "So any idea as to where Koji is?" The words had to be thrust out of my mouth to have such a tone; I didn't want anyone hearing the tone that would've come out naturally.

"Nothing. There's no signs of anyone anywhere," Tommy responded gloomily, noting just how empty the Dark Continent truly was, despite the fact that the forest we were currently venturing through would have a more than suitable dwelling for any creature that decided to home there.

"There aren't even any of Cherubimon's goons chasing after us, and that's actually saying something," JP added, for that little hinted of wariness to resurface in anyone who had decided to forget of the foe we were sent here to fight. I found it ironic that the evil Warriors were trying to rob us of our Spirits, but instead, we had gotten theirs', even though that wasn't really ever our objective. Funny how it all worked out. It made this whole struggle seem kind of like a sort of performance, a play more distinctively. In classic performing arts, the protagonists always defeated every evil, set everything right, ultimately overcoming every type of challenge through and through. To say we were protagonists may have been an over-estimation, but one could state with significant dignity that we were protagonists in our own stories, personal entries in which we daily write in the novel of our minds.

"It couldn't hurt scouting around though," Takuya suggested, studying the look on my face like an appraiser looking deeply for error at an object to be priced. He was trying to get into my head; I could he knew I was pondering about something, and he was digging to try to uncover what it was exactly. But then, pausing the examination momentarily, he turned to the Warriors of Wind and Thunder and stated, "Zoe and JP, I want you guys to look from the sky. See if you spot anything worth investigation."

They complied and Evolved to their Human Spirits, the transformations taking DemiDevimon's outmost attention. And for sure it wasn't because it surprised him they could become Digimon like me, it was because of what were almost exposed just due south of Kazemon's collarbone. And going by his expression, he clearly liked what he saw. _That dirty little pervert. This is one of those times that I'm glad to be as flat as an airport runway._

When the Warriors took to the air, the little round Digimon was quick to follow close behind. But this only allowed him to see the Wind Warrior from an entirely different angle. He enjoyed himself so much that apparently he found a need to proclaim ever-so shamelessly, "Hoohoo! Daddy likes a little junk in the trunk!"

I facepalmed. "Dear God…"

Takuya had a look of Death in its purest form on his face as he glared at me for the Rookie's display of perverse affections. "You really know how to pick your friends, don't you?" _Hey, I picked you, didn't I? Actually, scratch that. I don't wanna talk about our awkward bond._

My lips were completely flat-lined as I merely gazed back at him, thinking of an acceptable, but really not finding one. After a bit of thought on the manner, I realized that DemiDevimon probably would have stalked me anyway if I had said he couldn't come along with me. And that thought scared the crap outta me, since I hadn't ever seen any courthouse here where I could file for a restraining order. Or a properly-educated lawyer, either.

"I must admit, my dear girl, you could've found someone, er…a little more suitable to assist us on this quest," Bokomon stated, scratched his garden gnome head in agreement with the Flame Warrior's rhetorical question. Apparently they considered it my fault that a dirty little Digimon was now hitting on Zoe so endlessly that 'stalker' just didn't fit him anymore. In fact, I couldn't find at all a word that even remotely fit his current state of perversion.

I threw my hands up, as if I was physically pushing away the blame they were shoving on me. "Hey, don't pin this on me. He wouldn't shut up until I said he could come. And if I remember right, it was _you guys_ that left me behind and made me susceptible to his…him-ness. Which, by the way, I forgot to thank you properly for that." I reached over and whacked Takuya over the head.

"I don't know, I think under his crusty surface, he's a good guy." We all stared at Tommy when he suddenly piped up with that remark. He didn't even look at us at he was speaking, so if his words hadn't pertained to the conversation, I would've thought he was talking to himself. "In a way, he's like Koji."

A vein in my forehead popped; or at least it felt like it did. "What? Don't you dare compare him to _Koji_! He's nothing like Koji!"

From way off, I heard Kazemon squeal over to me, "Ah-ha! I just _knew_ you loved him!"

Glowering at the remark, my face heating up into a crimson fireball, I tried to ignore her exclamation by saying to the littlest of the Warriors, "Well, just what do you mean, Tommy?" I tried to subtract the irritation and replace it with more curiosity, but I failed miserably.

He looked at me with his bright green eyes filled with emotion. I never noticed how utterly gorgeous their color was until I looked right into them at this moment and saw all the feelings contained inside them, even sentiment that he shouldn't have known at his age, that none of us should've known at our ages. "I wasn't trying to be mean to Koji or anything, but I just meant that…" He paused, as if he was searching my face to see if I'd hit him if he worded what he wanted to say wrong and it offended me. "…he's being judged by everyone else. I remember when we first met Koji, we thought he was a big meanie and Takuya fought with him every chance he got." At the glance Tommy passed the gogglehead, he looked off quickly, with his face scrunched up sourly in his dislike for his adopted little brother's example. "But when he opened up, he turned out to be a really nice guy and a really good friend, despite how we thought of him in the beginning."

As Bokomon complimented the Ice Warrior of his comparison, I felt my mind slipping away from reality. _Koji…_ I frowned, dropping my head down to gaze blankly at my shoes, and my muscles all stiffened as my chest tightened like the oxygen was being sucked right from my lungs. _What if we don't find you? Or if we do, it's too late and you're—_ I forced myself to cut that thought from being processed fully. It was there, that possibility was there, I knew it was, but I couldn't let it get a hold of me; it'd be horrible for morale, and I had to keep strong for him, believing he could pull through any obstacle he was put in. _And I can't make any of the others deal with my own worries, it'll only make things worse for them. And after all they've done for me; I don't want them to do even more for me._

"Mirai?" I felt a warm hand upon my bare shoulder.

My head would've automatically cocked to rest my cheek upon his hand if I hadn't stopped myself mid-motion. The touch brought me a sense of home and I felt drawn to it like a moth to a flame. "Nhmm?" I blinked my attention back into the current place and time in a half-asleep sort of slowness and turned.

Chocolate-brown eyes watched me with a highly-noticeable amount of apprehension woven into them delicately as if done with a little needle, thimble, and thread. I stared back with lack of expression, exploring deeper into them with my own colored orbs, looking far enough to see little flecks of red splattered like paint into them. I saw my own reflection staring back, looking torn apart on the inside, an emotional mess on the outside. "What's wrong?"

That triggered repeating tragedy, over and over, one word just echoing inside my head, bouncing off the sides of my skull.

_Koji. Koji. Koji. Koji. Koji. Koji…Koji…Koji…Ko…ji…_

I shook it away, wiping it out as if using an eraser. Forcing on a smile, I attempted to cover up the obvious, "Nothing, Takuya." I raised my shoulders, turned my head off to the side, and put on a harder grin. It was so obvious, it was painful. "Haha, you don't have to worry about me. Stop being so over-protective; you don't need to keep a tab on me twenty-four-seven." I shook my head to add to my façade. "You're the same as you were when we were little."

"Haha, Mirai just called you immature!"

We looked up to see Kazemon fluttering down, and a few feet from the ground, De-Spirit Evolving back into her human form and dropping the rest of the way. The Inheritor of Wind put her hand on her hip while giving Takuya a mocking smile. "But it doesn't take a genius to figure that out." She stuck her tongue out at him and he fumed outwardly, hunching his shoulders and balling his fists down at his side. His face was so red, he looked like he wanted to scream bloody murder.

But he tried to at least sound composed with his response, which really didn't go over so well, as it was extremely evident that he was offended when he spoke through clenched teeth like he did. Changing the subject was probably a better call on his part. "Did you find anything?"

She gave him a look of cocky attitude. "Well, let's see. I'm standing here, _not_ saying that I found anything, so…" She gave a smug shrug (wow, I just rhymed). "I guess not."

As she and Takuya began to bicker between themselves like an old married couple, I looked up and called, "How 'bout you, Beetlemon? Find anything?" I could hear my heartbeat in my head, bouncing of one eardrum to the other and back again. My body felt like it was on fire, and I could feel little beads of sweat forming on my forehead under where my bangs fell.

The Human Spirit of Thunder flew over, landed, and De-Spirit Evolved. He crossed his arms. "No dice. There's no sign of anyone. Koji could be just about anywhere." He watched my eyes drop, along with my whole facial expression. "Sorry."

I shook my head in slow motion, feeling sick to my stomach, a recognizable nausea that felt like influenza. "It's all right. It's not your…" I gulped hard. _No. Don't. You're okay, just keep telling yourself that. You're okay…_ "…fault. It can't be he—" I stopped abruptly, darting a few yards away and falling on my knees, and began to vomit. My throat burned from acid and my stomach writhed with pain. My whole head was spinning and my eyes burned like hell. My body kept trying to make me heave, but nothing was coming, as my insides were completely empty from not eating, and so it felt my guts were being twisted like one would do with a rag to get all the water out. I began to cough and choke on the water remaining; my whole body trembled, suddenly going from hot to very, very cold. My breath burned in my throat and I couldn't catch it, each in and out of air not doing anything but tightening a vice around my neck. I thought I was going to suffocate. Gasping for breath, I allowed myself to fall onto my side, grasping my stomach and tears coming to my eyes. I pulled my knees up to me to get warmer, but my own touch seemed cold to me.

"Mirai!" Zoe ran up to me and was placed down next to me in an instant. She placed her warm hand on my forehead and slicked back my bangs. We locked eyes, and it was hard for me to keep the connection. I closed my eyes and began to slip away as she said, "She's got a fever…"

* * *

—Third Person Narration—

Zoe watched the Holder of Space and Time sleep with wide green eyes. "Bokomon, what's the cause of this?" she questioned in deep alarm, tucking the girl's ebony hair behind her ear to be out of her face that was twisted into a hard look of distain.

The white Digimon, along with Neemon, Patamon, JP, and Tommy, gathered at the girl's side. Bokomon pulled out the book and began looking through it, skimming through all of the chapters while occasionally looking up at the sick Warrior before him. "I don't find anything mentioned in here. I'm deeply sorry." He shut the book and after putting it away, scanned Mirai's form with his round, dark eyes. "I'm not familiar with the illnesses of humans."

Tommy suddenly perked up, his eyes growing larger. "But wait, where's DemiDevimon?" he questioned, immediately sounding unnerved about the little devil Digimon's current location. He hadn't been around since he flew off with Kazemon to scout around. "Wasn't he—?" He stopped, looking back behind him.

He saw Takuya standing completely still, his mouth a straight line, his eyes burning like the fire of his Element. Rage bubbled from inside him and through his clenched teeth, he scoffed, "I'm gonna kill 'im…" His eyes were tight-set, his shoulders led downward to fists balled so tight, his muscles and veins were visible through his skin. "I'm gonna kill that _shiseiji_…" He ripped his hat and goggles off his head, and threw them to the ground. He began to walk past the group, eyes moving in all directions.

This made Bokomon realize a possibility. "Check Mirai's body for any wounds or just anything unusual and unnatural," he commanded, again proceeding with opening the book and looking through it, this time knowing what to look for. "It could be just about anywhere." His eyes shifted along each title of the chapter, looking….looking…

Tommy began to remove her shoes and socks and started pulling up her pant legs, Zoe went over her arms and hands, and as JP began to lift her tank, Takuya stopped abruptly and shouted, pure anger put into his tone at the Warrior of Thunder, "Don't you dare touch her!" He grabbed him by the back of the collar and thrust him backwards, away from the unconscious girl, knocking him onto his back. Takuya glared at him with blood-stained daggers in his eyes, driven by such foul emotion.

"I wasn't gonna do anything. Don't get so defensive, Takuya," he grumbled back, sincerely having no intentions of perversion. _Why is Takuya acting so angry all of a sudden?_ He looked the brunette's expression over, seeing nothing like the attributes he'd normally hold on the curves of his face.

The furious Flame Inheritor furrowed his eyebrows, seemingly not believing JP's defense. He turned his head fiercely away, and pulling out his D-Tector tight in his grasp, began to walk off. There was a deep, dark aura around his form, unseen but extremely evident. His eyes were locked forward, put into such a way that his bangs concealed them down to his black, abyss-like pupils. His cheeks were a fiery red, like hot coals, and his lips tight like he was holding back curses.

Zoe rose slightly as his form began to disappear, reaching out towards him slightly with one gentle hand. "Tak-Takuya…?"

"Found something, Bokomon." Tommy looked up at the informational Digimon, his fingertips stained lightly with blood. His gaze turned down from the Digimon after receiving the attention down to his hands, as if he was waiting for the blood upon them to eat away his skin like acid.

Bokomon walked over and saw where Tommy had re-parted Mirai's hair to expose what had the shape and likeness of a dart injected into her skin, and the angle that it protruded sliced through made a long incision from which blood was now escaping. The dart was entered at an angle, causing it to catch like a thorn. At this, Bokomon nodded to himself, stating, "Just as I thought." He held out the book for the humans to see. "Mirai's sickness is due to the effects of DemiDevimon's Demi Dart attack."

"That lying snake! I knew that anyone that perverse had to be bad news," JP responded, not lightening the mood with his attempt to do so. Instead he received looks with the words 'there's a time and a place for everything' written on them all.

Zoe remained silent, not even daring to look at the book, as Tommy voiced the question that was running through all of their minds, "What will happen to Mirai then?" He didn't set gaze on Bokomon as he inquired, only on the girl lying before them with an expression twisted with agony marred upon her face. "How long until she gets better?" His voice was quiet, like the volume one would have in a library or in church during a service.

At this, Bokomon again shook his head, frowning in a melancholy. "Well, in cases when a Digimon gets infected by the dart's poison, they get only sick, but it says here—" He scanned the page another time, to confirm his readings bitterly correct. "—the poison is fatal to humans."

It grew dead silent. There was no wind, no sound of anyone breathing, nothing. His words sunk in and were branded on their minds, burning like hot metal. They all were replaying that seem remembrance in their heads, when DemiDevimon had gotten his talons snared in the girl's hair, how she let out a small yell when a serration made contact with her scalp. That was it. That was the moment when this all had begun. And the reason why it was all going to end.

Without warning, the deafening sound of an explosion rang out and echoed through the desolate land, bouncing off each tree of the forest they were in and hitting their ears directly. Smoke rose in a thick, dark cloud off in the distance like a road up to the all the more dark sky, like it was being constructed as a path to the world above. And yet, with its shady, evil, corrupted colors, it seemed to be more fitting for it to be a path leading to the very depths of hell.

From the shadows, Agunimon emerged. His bright blue eyes burning with passion, his stride tight, he walked with a firmness surrounding him that made all present turn and set gaze upon him. In his a tight fist, he grasped DemiDevimon by the wings, of who at one point had been struggling, but now found no use for it. The small devil Digimon was marred with bruises and burn marks, some of his fur actually burned off and leaving only the smell of burnt hair, the sign of combat and a battle lost.

The Warrior of Flame thrust the small, helpless creature down and the gauntlets on his hands ignited flames, ready to destroy the pathetic Digimon. Hatred swelled within his body. "Talk!" he barked, and proceeded to point to the unconscious Warrior of Space and Time, who's head was turned in their direction uncomfortably, resting against the hard, cold ground. "Did you do this to her?" His gaze was like ice; it could've made entire armies back away and surrender with its intensity.

DemiDevimon trembled. He glanced at Mirai for a split-second out of the very corner of his large, yellow eyes, but his main attention lied upon Agunimon, towering over him with a look of loathing intended just for him. He was deathly terrified of the Warrior, so much so that his voice refused to come to him immediately. "…I…I…" His gaze shifted to all of the Warriors, one by one, to meet their anger. His gaze rested upon that blonde girl, that…Zoe girl. She didn't look angry as much as disappointed, like a mother would when her child did something foolish. She shook her head at him; there were tears in the corner of her eyes. His own eyes fell down back to Mirai and then back up to her. _Is this why she's sad? Am I the reason why she looks like that?_ "…I…"

"Spill it!" Agunimon snarled, the fires growing to consume his whole fists. Nothing in this Legendary Warrior sounded like Takuya. All rage. Only the desire to destroy remained. _Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill._

The bat immediately blocked his face with his wings, expecting a blow to come with the exclamation. "Cherubimon sent me to cause casualties, to slow you down until the Darkness kills the Light." He cringed again after stating this, expecting this to anger the Flame Warrior enough to finish him. He looked at the Warrior after nothing came, and saw just how hard he was trying to wait to destroy him after hearing him out. He saw so many creases in his face as he tried so hard not to let judgment come down upon the little Digimon. "B-but I know how you can cure her!" Agunimon's face didn't change, signifying for him to continue. "Lotosmon are the only known creature able to remove the dart, and a petal of the rainbow flower on her staff is said to remove the poison. It's the only known cure." He looked off to where the forest cleared out. "It's said she lives somewhere over there. _Where the Ancients' tears are hidden, you shall find the Flower of Life…_"

Agunimon dropped his head, the fire spreading up to his elbows. A dark enmity consumed him. "You were with Cherubimon from the start. You were sent to distract us until Koji is killed by Duskmon, to kill Mirai, to kill _all_ of us! You don't deserve to live; you don't deserve the life you've lived thus far! If your only intention was to take more and more lives, then you have no worth! I'm going to make you sorry you were ever born!" He began to thrust his fist down for a finishing blow—

"T-Takuya, stop ple-ease."

His fist came mere inches from the Digimon when he stopped. He looked over and locked gazes with dull purple eyes. His whole body loosened and he extinguished the fire. "Mirai?" His tone was filled with surprise, as if he expected her to be unable to ever wake up, like her heart had already stopped beating.

Her face was flushed white, her lips very pink, and her eyes were filled with tears. Her voice was high and quiet, quieter than most whispers, and her words came out in slow motion with breaths in between most words. "Takuya…" Tears went down her cheeks. "It isn't the real you doing this. The Takuya I know wouldn't take a life so harshly, he wouldn't take revenge…" Her whole body was trembling. "My Taky would let him live so he can search and find a reason to be remorseful…that's my Taky."

"Mirai…" The Flame Warrior frowned and De-Spirit Evolved, with grim, tan eyes gazing at her as she slowly drifted back into sleep. His mind swam, his anger dispersed. He went over and picked his hat and goggles back up off the ground, and staring at them, he saw his reflection in the lenses. _Am I at all still the Takuya you once knew, Mirai?_ He turned back towards DemiDevimon, holding back his emotions. He hated what he became when his feelings took hold; they could twist anyone into a completely different person, someone unrecognizable by themselves or anyone else. Only the exterior bore resemblance; inside they were new, corrupt, and evil.

He turned away, in the direction DemiDevimon had referred to when speaking of a cure. "You're coming," he scoffed suddenly, making the little bat Digimon jump in surprise at the sudden demand. He didn't sound as cold, the hate was still lingering in his voice by a little thread, but all of it on his face had disappeared. He walked over to Mirai and pulled her up onto his back, holding her legs up around his waist.

They trekked for a time not calculated by any in hopes they would find something that pertained to the words DemiDevimon had spoken: _Where the Ancient's tears are hidden, you shall find the Flower of Life…_ A silence had enveloped the group like a fog, all with things filling their heads and distracting them from the world that surrounded them. Mirai's head rested on Takuya's shoulder and he could feel her breath on his neck. He caught the smell of vomit on it, making his stomach churn and his intestines twist around and around into endless knots.

Dealing with these situations was what being a leader was about. He had to look out for all the members of his group, and he'd go through hell and back for any one of them. _It's a nice thought_, he thought with a frown, _but I really don't know the truth in it. After all..._ His mind created memories of all he encountered as Flamon, how he had been sent into the past of the real world, his chance to erase his decision of following the message, denying that chance, going back and learning firsthand what it's like to be a true leader…

"I see water!" Patamon suddenly exclaimed, a big grin growing on his face and beginning to laugh in excitement. "Water! Water! Water!" He flew off towards a barren distance, leaving the Warriors perplexed. There was no water; there was just _nothing_.

Bokomon called out to the young Digimon as the whole group ran in pursuit. "Patamon!"

The post-Celestial Digimon stopped over just more empty land, flatter than what was around it, but still void of life. "It's so big and blue!" he exclaimed, his eyes shining, his smile bigger than before.

Zoe looked about, frowning. "There's nothing here. Do you think Patamon is seeing something that we can't? Because of Seraphimon's power still lingering in him?" she questioned, her eyes flickering with hope. She scanned the whole area, seeing nothing but emptiness for as far as one could possibly see. There was no way for water to even be there; the ground would suck it up so quickly, because it was just so dry.

The Warrior of Flame didn't look at Zoe as he responded. His gaze was set on where Patamon was looking, thinking about all the options. "Maybe. We have to figure it out, though." He crouched down, and leaning forward, extended his arm towards the ground. And when his fingers made contact, instead of hitting the dirt, they kept going, sinking in. His pupils grew large. "It feels like water. Warm water." He pulled his hand out and he felt water running off of it, but it wasn't visible to the eye. "Invisible water…?"

Patamon laughed at this. "Invisible water? That's just silly! It's right there!"

"Then where's Lotosmon?" Tommy piped up, causing all to look to DemiDevimon for an answer.

The little round bat stared back in bewilderment, not knowing how to respond to their gazes. "What? You expect me to know? Lotosmon may just be a legend for all I know." His big eyes darted all around, taking in each human's expression one by one.

JP put his clenched fists onto his hips. "For your sake, she better not be just a legend," he remarked, gesturing with a light toss of his head in the direction of the gogglehead, who seemed to be beginning to lose his temper again, despite how much he was trying to hold it in. His facial expression was changing into something angrier with every passing moment.

As DemiDevimon struggled to think of more words to that ancient saying that he had before recited, the ground began to tremble. Not far off the water disguised desolate land began to ripple, sending out waves of chalky brown. From several meters away, the water became visible in a dull blue hue as a figure shot up from the tide, water shooting up like a geyser.

"Disturb my deep reflections you dare?"

A fairy Digimon levitated over the waves. She had the body of a woman, her eyes were covered, and white extended from her violet-shaded body out from around her hips and down her shoulders. She held two rods, one in each hand. One had the caduceus that administers restoration and devastation, two snakes of black and white wrapped around up to wings that protruded from the very top of the rod, and the other rod was tipped with a colorful flower. She let off a calm, graceful aura, but her red lips were curved down into a frown that showed slight irritation.

"Lotosmon…" Takuya began, tightening his eyes and sliding the unconscious Warrior off his back onto the ground with the caution one would treat to an egg. His mouth was pulled into a straight line. "Please help her…"

The lotus Digimon turned her head minutely to the side, looking the dark-haired girl over from her place, inquiring with slight amusement in her voice, "It, what illness is? I hope, worth my time and efforts highly, it is."

"Stop talking like Yoda and do something!" JP snapped, really not lightening the mood with the Star Wars reference.

Lotosmon turned her head away in such a smooth, fluid manner, it hardly seemed like the defiance that was intended by the motion. "Best intentions anger brings not. Regardless…" She floated over to them and her feet came to rest on solid ground. She scanned Mirai quickly without a single movement of her head. She averted her gaze and looked at DemiDevimon, who jumped. She didn't direct her words toward him, however. "To heal her you expect me? Me reasoning give."

Zoe put her hands together up by her collarbone, like she wanted to pray. "Yes, please, Lotosmon. You're the only one that can do it. Please."

The Digimon turned her head towards the Wind Inheritor, called by her pure heart. She saw that look on her face of complete yearning. "Needed, a correspondence is. Of health and sickness exchange, for life and death need agreement."

All looked to Bokomon, asking with their eyes what Lotosmon was implying. The white Digimon ran the words through his mind, tossing them around in his head like a sack of potatoes. "I believe she means that someone must sacrifice their health to trade with Mirai's sickness, death for life." He shook his head in dismay, mumbling out over and over to himself, "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear…"

Out of the silence, came the single, quiet sentence, "I'll do it."

Protests. Protests from every angle, from every mouth.

While words were sparking all around, disapproval filling the air, DemiDevimon looked straight up at Lotosmon's face with his large eyes. No one was paying attention to him, to the look on his face as that girl's words were echoing in his mind: …_Search and find a reason to be remorseful…_ He remembered the way she cried, the tears that made their way down her ghostly-white cheeks, her dull, sickly eyes… "I will do it. This is how my remorse will be proven, how I will make up for the deeds I've done…"

Lotosmon nodded slowly. Her voice was quiet like the wind. "And it, done, will be." She held forth the staff of the rainbow flower and it began to shimmer with multi-colored light. "From death, blossom and bloom, life will…"

Silence quickly took hold, the disagreement of the Warriors halting mid-word. No one had noticed the deed until DemiDevimon disappeared into a white light. One single petal of the flower glowed in the same hue. Eyes were wide with realization as the bearer of the staff stated with an emotionless voice, "Willing to pay for their transgressions doing so, health comes from those who are…"

She pulled the petal from the flower, and another one was immediately formed in its place. She reached down with the petal and placed it upon Mirai's chest. It sunk past her clothes and into her being. An outline of light surrounded her and the color to her face returned, her breathing steadied in a healthy manner. Her mouth opened slightly in her slumber, her whole expression changing into serene contentment. She didn't appear at all in pain; she received _health_.

"_Shimatta_…" Takuya scoffed, biting his lip. "He-he just…" He blinked a few times. _Wh-why am I crying? He was the cause of all of this, he deserved this end…_ He thrust his head away from view of the other Warriors, closing his eyes, tears like razors down his face. "_Arigatou_…"

* * *

**Okay, so I'm really proud of this ending. You guys can leave it up to your imagination to guess who was the first one to offer their life.**

**Oh yes, and just so it doesn't seem like Mirai is a total target for enemies, it just so happened that she was the first one infected. DemiDevimon was supposed to poison the whole group, but he just didn't get the chance to.**

**And as for Lotosmon, I actually found a Yoda-speak converter online. To this moment and probably forever forward, I don't know why I decided to have her talk like that. Fitting? Not so sure, but she is what she is. XD**


	34. Chapter 32

**Woot woot! Another chapter, my peoples! And this is actually one I'm pleased with! I managed to get both episodes 30 and 31 shoved into this with little effort on my part! YAAAY!**

**Soo, again I'm really sorry for, uh...you know...updating pretty much every other month...that's not very nice of me. I'm very lazy on weekends when I should be writing, but instead watch anime.**

**Anyway, I worked for a looong time on this one, the first part of this one of my favorite parts to write so far. It's sorta dark in my opinion, and is clearly the result of watching too much Mirai Nikki (a new anime addiction. sooo scary, but soooo amazing. the name was what caught my attention in the first place. Mirai. Ha.) at one time. **

**As the chapter proceeds, it gets sorta iffy on Mirai's standpoint on just about... well, everything. I must've been high when I wrote some of it, because it doesn't seem like something I'd write when I'm trying to get into her character. o.O**

**Okay, so a lot of inspiration for this came from the beautiful songs Pitter-Pat by Erin McCarley (thank you, Kari-chan, for introducing me to this amazing song), Paramore's entire Riot! album, and several songs from Nickelback's amazing Here and Now album. **

**All of this aside, I dearly hope you enjoy this chapter. If it starts getting whacky at the end, it's because it's 1am here and I am just about half-asleep. Enjoy, and please leave your comments and opinions! :3**

* * *

Chapter 32

—Mirai's POV—

I couldn't begin to describe it. This…this feeling.

No, feeling wasn't the right word. It was too…physical. Maybe condition fit better, a state. A state of my being. _Mine_. That word didn't seem to suit this, either. I had no sense of possession over myself. I could remember all I had tried to do, but nothing that had actually occurred, or if what I had attempted came into action. All the darkness prevented me from seeing, a darkness that seemed to burn like acid in not just my eyes, but all over, up and down every loin in my body.

It lasted for an amount of time I couldn't begin to determine. This inflaming that ran through all my nerves like it went on forever. I couldn't recall what had happened to make it all start, and no matter how I tried, I couldn't get used to the endless sensation of poison running through my bloodstream, sapping away the very life I thought I had possessed.

I wanted to scream. I tried and tried to release what I bottled up with bitten tongue. My lips wouldn't obey; it was if they had forgotten their role. The high-pitched ringing in my head was the only thing that accompanied me, driving me insane as it bounced around inside my skull with momentum I thought would crack the bone encasing it. It was taunting me; it kept me craving a sweet end to come instead of having to endure all this to reach that same place. I wanted it to be all over.

The thoughts of release made me conceive a deep, dark desire, like the yearning for a drop of water in the depths of hell. It was a painful feeling, in full knowledge that I couldn't quench that thirst for freedom of my spirit, not by my own power. Whatever power I possessed in this realm of negative feeling, if I possessed any at all. The negative feeling sent forth mirages of things happier, more pleasant genre. The images moved farther and farther from my fingertips, farther and farther from my reach. My voice failed when I tried to call out to them, a sheet of sandpaper being pulled up my windpipe, fishhooks attached to lines being yanked up close behind.

My body trembled and I spit out blood, saliva mixing with it to make it stretch in a long string from my mouth. I couldn't see where the spit had landed; the blackness swallowed up everything like an endless abyss, but still I could stand upon it like a physical surface. It hurt to stand. Gravity seemed like a lead weight pressing down on me, trying to bring me back down. Maybe I could meet my end if I just surrendered and let it crush me…

"You can't fall to the depths effortlessly. All sweet endings come with pain, in one form or another. This is your due suffering…"

My whole enmity was sent into a panic mode. Ice shot through me, wound up in a long coil of barbed wire, catching on my insides and ripping it up into an agonizing, blood-splattered mess. My vision was dazed and blurry, my eyes shooting razor blades down my face. _No, no, no, no!_

Bile gathered in the back of my mouth like a wad of burning acid, threatening a fierce, merciless escape. That voice. It had such an ability to make my skin grow stone cold and my hair stand erect like needles, pricking like syringes driving into me. Fear split the syringe tips in half, shattering the glass and left the shards showering over me, slicing my arms, face, chest, and shoulders, leaving the pain oozing from my form with unseen blood.

There was nothing I could do now, not now that I was alone to defend myself against the newest obstacle to confront me. No Koji to fight with me by my side, no Takuya to come play big brother. There was no reason to scream, as no one willing to assist me could come to my aid, but the desire to do so was overpowering, like the drawing of cold fingers to an open flame. My throat was so raw, not one syllable—not one sound—came from my lips.

Fingers curled around a lock my hair and yanked it hard, thrusting my head back painfully so my eyes pointed upward. They synced with a face matching mine, but brighter in complexion, eyes a pale lavender with bloody crimson splatters and a crooked smile that had written upon it bloodlust. Her voice was dripping the signatures of all those who I had sinned against, "You can never eliminate me. I may not be all what I used to be, but I still exist. I still live inside your black, tainted heart." _No…It can't…I killed her…Mirai…_

She spun around me, facing me and scanning at my profile. It was as if she didn't have that epiphany before the blade was plunged into her back by my own hand, as if she had reverted back to the form of which she held while still grasped in the fist of Cherubimon. "You, honestly, look like _kuso_." She used her index finger to turn my head with slight pressure on my chin, displeased with the sight of me. "I don't understand what Koji sees in you. And you in him. He's holds not a candle to his _nii-san_."

My chest grew instantly tight. _H-his _nii-san_? Why…why didn't he tell me?_ I tried to keep my emotions off my face, but I was certain she detected them. Despite my certainty, she said nothing off my expression, going on like she never even saw it, "And _Taky_—" Her lips curled as the Warrior of Flame's nickname was shot from her lips. "—he too would've, his ignorance and stupidity aside, been a more sufficient choice than that lone wolf. You don't deserve something as pure as Light, and he's foolish to believe you do."

I stared hard at her, trying to put her together in my mind like a broken mirror as she traced around the features of my face with her fingertip, as if she was wiping off the dust. Her eyes followed along with the motions, red foggily glazing over the purple in a way that reminded me of a look one would make while focusing on the paint strokes to put on a future masterpiece. Her voice came out as a mumble as she walked behind me, my eyes following so I could barely see one of her shoulders in my peripheral vision, and she started futzing around with my ebony hair. She ran her fingers through it, trying to get out the endless tangles and rats' nests.

As I wondered why she even bothered, as she was technically an enemy and would probably rather be harming me than making my presentation look better, she began to speak again, "Why, girl, must you not take care of yourself? You're so persistent on being self-centered, yet you can't even present yourself properly." She sounded disgusted with me, making my conscience take a blow. _Am I really still that selfish? Even with how I've tried to not be?_ "You can do so much better if only you'd stop picking fights…" _Do I still do that, too? Have I been just so oblivious?_ "Oh, Mirai, Mirai, Mirai…" She must have come across some wounds or something on my head while going through my hair. "You let that _little devil_ deceive you? How blind are you?"

If I could've questioned her meaning, I would've, but my muteness prevented me from doing so. Even as she touched my scalp where a large wound remained previously unnoticed and I winced, my open mouth didn't let out a peep. My eyelids just squeezed tighter against my eyes, slits in between them allowing me to watch the darkness before me. But it really didn't make a difference, as it was the same as it was with my eyes closed.

Her voice rolled on, sounding like she was trying to show that she knew every corner of my head. She used the tone that seemed like she would be talking to a small child; that's probably all she thought of me as, anyway. "You were just _so_ caught up thinking about your lover that you didn't see you were being played by that pawn of Lord Cherubimon, hoping—_praying_— that he was alive somewhere, not maimed by his counterpart of Darkness, just so that he could take you up in his arms and tell you a sweet little story to make all the little monsters that crawl around in your head go away." Her fingers traced along the wound atop my head, causing me to cringe and try to shrink into myself.

The whole time I tossed her words around, trying to make sense of her meaning, her whole reasoning why she was talking about my current standing with the Warrior of Light. She was hurling insults at me, and with no words of counteraction, all I could do was take them with my head held up, no matter if they were true or false, without letting out any of my temper. I couldn't afford to be hot-headed, not here, not now. Whatever here and now actually were.

The assumption a snide smile was on her face now, as her tone changed to fit it. "And that moron complied to your every desire. Time and time again, he just decided to baby you with his make-shift remedies, the whole time dismissing his own personal conflicts that needed his attention. You may say that's selflessness, but in reality it's all idiocy. He put you up to feel like a little princess, his charming gestures and addicting kisses, when really he was just running from his reality and at the same time, making you lose touch of yours. And the imbecile knew it all too. He made this all into a game, a game where you're the puppet he plays just to hide his cowardice."

_Mock him and you die…_ I furrowed my eyebrows, shooting my gaze down to the ground. I refused to let her get to me, no matter what she said. I knew for certain that I wasn't Koji's little plaything, his escape from reality, but despite that, I could feel my rage boiling up inside me. Attempting to control it, I bit my lip and tightened the muscles in my hands till they were immobile by my will and involuntarily shaking with agony. But I wouldn't fight back. I refused to fight back.

She put her face to mine, our noses centimeters apart, her irises looking increasingly more blood-stained, her teeth bared in a twisted smirk. "And you know the best part? If he had kept his hands off you and you were just fellow Warriors, DemiVeemon would still be alive."

My mind went blurry as my body immediately into motion. My clenched fist connected with her jaw and instantly we were both on the ground, wrestling for dominance, throwing blows at each other. Her assessment of me beforehand gave her knowledge where previous wounds were sustained, allowing her an edge. Her fingers clawed into my face, digging deep into the skin, drawing razors of blood. I wanted so desperately to scream; my mouth opened wide to shriek, but the soundlessness burned me like coals. My hand flew up to my face, trying to make the blood stop coming, yet the crimson still managed to drip into my eye, stinging like acid and handicapping the left side of my vision.

I suddenly got the feeling of paralysis. My mind couldn't figure out what to do; I lied limp, rippling in response to each blow. She threw a kick to my side, causing a loud cracking sound that I was sure were some of my ribs. Tears shot down my face, mixing with sweat and blood, making my face a complete mess. Electricity shot through every inch of me as each hit sustained more and more damaged to my human body, surging tremors of torture everywhere.

My mind was pleading, _Stop! Stop! Please! Just stop!_ But all the while, my counterfeit kept delivering hit after hit, that smile of bloodlust written on the curves of her face, her eyes now completely consumed with deep red. She was laughing, cackling with each corresponding crunch of a new bone inside me shattering.

Suddenly, she stopped. She grew deathly silent, her beaming beginning to disintegrate to an innocent smile, as she leaned down towards me. She placed herself down on her hands and knees, her legs on both sides of me, her face looming directly above mine, staring down at me with those eyes that begged murder. "This is my favorite part right here," she stated with a giggle, her tone that of a little girl. Her eyes disappeared for an instant when her smile expanded. "Heehee, well, you see…"

She held out her palm, a dark, murky liquid flowing up her arm to it, collecting into it like an active, lively puddle. It swirled around and around like molecules merging into one another and taking on an all-too familiar form. A dagger.

Shaking took over my body. This was her intention; she desired her revenge against me from what I did to her. She waited ever-so patiently for me to snap, as she knew for certain that I would just so easily, and would use my own irritability against me for the chance to plunge the dagger into my enmity. My eyes didn't want me to see the result; fog filled my line of sight and my tears hurt from being kept silent. The reality I couldn't cry audibly hurt me, like it was stripping me of my human abilities, all that distinctly separated me from what I always told myself I wasn't: A heartless monster.

A second childish giggle escaped her lips as she aimed the tip precisely, pointed straight down to my chest, just south of my neck. She wanted me to feel it. She didn't want me to die instantly, she desired to see my look of agony as I bled to death, my bloodstreams leading to my head severed. "Now it's my turn!" she exclaimed happily, pleased to be so close to watching me die by her own hand, a hand that looked identical to my own. It was the perfect irony, the perfect justice.

She drove the blade down.

I shifted away as far as I could.

The serrated metal pierced into my shoulder, ripping everything inside to shreds. My voice managed to escape, but it wasn't a scream. It was an inhuman, blood-curling screech. I instantly paid for my weakness, the sound bringing with it a mouthful of blood. My body cried out for release, the blood filling my vision to make Mirai a crimson silhouette. Her teeth still gleamed as she pulled the dagger from my arm, twisting it in the process and crippling my whole body into a state of anguish in which I couldn't even tremble in my absolute terror.

Mirai cursed at her miss, her voice sounding deeply frustrated. She held the hilt of the knife in her hand daintily, as if examining it, and then sliced the air to shoot off my blood from the blade, splattering my face. "You're nothing but a helpless bother. You screw up everything!" Her voice suddenly changed to that little girl tone again. She poked my stomach lightly with the tip of the cold metal, calculating more this time, probably frowning in discouragement. "Now I have to do it again!"

My eyelids burned when they concealed my violet orbs and no matter how much I wanted to keep the scene of my own end out of my vision, instinct made me keep my gaze on the killer. So I watched. I watched her cast the knife down towards my chest. I didn't see the contact. All I could see was her being fade into a blur, disappearing into the blackness the instant I felt the blade tip touch my shirt. Her own scream echoed, bouncing off invisible walls.

I heard footsteps nearing me. A face peered down at me, a small smile adorning his face. The sight of his angelic form made my pain melt away. His black hair shimmered in unseen light, his bright blue eyes watching me, whispering comforting words silently. His voice escaped his lips, his words so floating like a songbird's melody in the wind, "Your reality should never be wavered by your dreams. But don't worry. Through time, your light will bring you out of your nightmares…"

He crouched down next to my form and pulled me into his arms, lifting me up like my weight was nothing. My mouth O-shaped, my eyes glued to his smiling face, my mind bringing his name out as all around us turned into white, _Koji_…

* * *

Despite being unaware that they were closed, my eyes suddenly opened. My reality had changed around me, the darkness that captured me was gone, as was the angelic Light Possessor. Instead, I was surrounded by the rest of the Warriors, looking disgruntled at first glance, but as I sat up, being on the cold, rough ground, their expressions changed when they put their eyes on me. A spark of positive emotion suddenly wafted them all.

Without a warning, Zoe pounced on me, wrapping me up in her arms, over and over saying my name, "Mirai. Mirai. Mirai." Looking at her face, I realized she was sobbing, reminding me of a worry-some mother fussing over her child, but still leaving me wondering why she was crying. She pressed her face into my shoulder, her tears making a warm, wet splotch on my shirt, all the while, I mouthed to the others with raised eyebrow, 'What do I do?'

My mind went over what she could possibly know. I came to the conclusion I had been locked in some sort of corridor of my mind, as what I had gone through—what I felt—had been just too real for a dream, but that didn't explain Zoe's current emotional condition. If she didn't know what had just happened with Mirai within my head, then what else happened? I knew her to be rather headstrong, so something _must_ have happened that I didn't know about.

Placing my hands on her back in effort to be somehow reassuring, I looked to Takuya. His head was turned slightly away from me, but his eyes were pointed back in my general direction. Red rimmed them, the effects of previous tears. Had he been crying over me? No. He hardly ever did that; he thought of me to be too persistent to surrender to anything that would on normal occasion have called for the shedding of tears. And on almost all cases, he refused to cry in front of anyone, feeling it made him appear weak. I could recall only several occasions he had cried in front of me; he was too proud to show off such a thing, even when we had been completely honest with each other.

When I opened my mouth, it surprised me how my voice sounded, "Takuya?" It was light and there was something woven in it. What was it? It sounded familiar, but I couldn't put my finger upon it. It reminded me of a past that wasn't completely clear. "Are…are you…?"

He cut me off, his voice sounding shaken and cracked, "Let's just move on." His eyes locked with mine for a split-second, telling me things that would've taken much longer by physical words. My compliance to these was a simple nod. "Mirai…" His tone sounded suddenly like mine had been when I had said his name as we stared at each other's face, not locking eyes, but staring more at the other's chins instead. Silence surrounded us and no one moved or batted a single eyelash as I read his expression like a bittersweet story. It was all I needed to know everything.

He suddenly turned a deep color and turned away, his mouth twisted in a crooked frown. He coughed once, as if it put tension away into his back pocket, and allowed him without awkwardness to say, "Let's just…go."

The walk onward was rather quiet. No, actually, it was _overly_ quiet. Our group walked in staggered bunches with Takuya in the front with Zoe, talking in low tones back and forth. Occasionally one of them would peer over their shoulders, like the silence made the possibility of one of us wandering off all the higher, and then turn back around to continue whatever conversation they were currently having. My instincts told me they were talking about another fellow Warrior and that thought made a wad of something ugly gather in my chest.

I was alongside Bokomon as we went; he seemed rather too distracted by Patamon and Neemon constantly making faces at each other to see me with my still-vexed expression. I wanted to know why everyone was acting so abnormally, and I thought that he of all present would tell me, but he didn't tell me out-front, so I didn't ask. The wondering gnawed at me like a mouse chewing through wires, yet I figured that if I was meant to know, I would in due time.

In all likeliness.

Maybe.

…Probably not.

My eyes flashed across all the members of our group, and none of them really seemed to care what direction we were going. There was no way to define cardinal directions here, so in all logic put forth, we quite possibly could've been going back the same direction we had come from. This bothered me, realizing that if this were true, then we'd get no closer to Koji all the while he was getting only closer to his death by the Warrior of Darkness. "Hey, uh…" My voice cut when the others turned to look at me like I had already said something strange. "Shouldn't we stop and figure out which way we need to go?"

"But the light boy is this way!" Patamon fluttered past my head, smiling like something hopeful was waiting for him ahead. It was as if he didn't even see the bad side of things, or at least if he did, he outwardly ignored it. His optimism was unable to be competed with. "The light boy! The light boy! The light boy, buuuddy!"

My mind instantly turned to whom he was referring, my eyes widening, realizing that maybe Patamon still had some of his powers and abilities that he once possessed as Seraphimon. The form he was in suggested it to be unlikely, but this strange action said different. I followed him with my gaze, questioning in a quiet tone more or less to myself, "D-does he really know where Koji is?" Somehow my common sense made this overly hard to believe, as his appearance gave more doubt than confidence.

"How would he know?" Tommy questioned, his voice filled with disbelief. This gave me the conclusion that we all weren't sure of how to respond to the small Digimon's most recent action; it just seemed too implausible, yet was still all we had to go upon.

The little pre-Celestial seemed to be keeping from laughing at the Ice Warrior's question. "Well, duh! 'Cause it's all bright this way!"

We all looked at each other, seeking an answer as to whether or not to take his words for truth. But I wasn't sure that any of us knew what we were doing when we began to follow. We followed right behind, somehow exuding a coolness that showed that we knew to trust Patamon, no matter his form or his level of maturity. But the most intriguing part was that our coolness was probably moreover ignorance and stupidity, and even with that known, we downright ignored it.

So as we continued on, not much was said, as everyone was busy keeping their eyes on Patamon, in case he decided to fly too fast and get out of sight, even though that really wasn't likely at this point. His speed was only at a snail's pace, and as stated by JP, it would be much hated to see the little orange creature in slow motion. But with my mind wandering in and out of reality, we actually gained substantial ground without much notice.

And all of a suddenly, Patamon stopped short, screeched a high tone, and took refuge in his Papamom's waistband. He poked his head out, but didn't show much confidence with his expression. After Bokomon questioned what was wrong, his eyes filled with terror and he looked off past us into the distance, his little paw pointing while his voice trembled, "A bad thing's coming…"

"We'd better be on our guard, then—"

Takuya wasn't allowed to finish his advice before scarlet jolts of electricity shot upward from the horizon before us, and from it a deep, dark face materialized in a shadowy cloud. The eyes were almond-shaped, the mouth like a crescent moon, causing the shudder to shoot from my shoulders down to my hips, the word to escape without purpose, "Ch-Ch-Ch-Cherubimon…" And as soon as I had done so, it dissipated and sent dark razors up into the sky.

They rained down all around us and my inner self took over, my palms pressed tight to my ears, my eyes hidden, and a terrified scream shooting out from down in my windpipe. _Was this me now? So afraid? So intimidated by all around me? Since when had this become who I am?_ My shivering confirmed my questions. My duplicate was who I blamed, the one who had left me in this childish state when it was the last thing I should be in. This was the last place fear was needed.

The pain of scraped knees was what told me I had thrown myself down, choking on dust that had arisen and that had ceased my outcry. I couldn't breathe, much less speak, and whatever air I could take in was in short gasps that really never made it down to my lungs. I was hyperventilating with the reality shining brightly in my mind. _So here we all die. We survived up to this point, that's something to be proud of, but now it all ends with a barrage from Cherubimon. He caught us off-guard; he didn't even have to fight us to kill us all off. Does that show just how pathetic we are? Why did Ophanimon send _children_? Why _children_?_

Arms pulled me securely against someone's chest. My nose caught scent of his essence and I instantly knew it to be Takuya. "Mirai! Calm down, Mirai! Breathe!" he urged me, rubbing his hand up and down one of my shoulders. His next phrase wasn't directed to me. "Is everyone else all right?"

I heard positive answers respond back to his question. My breath was coming back to me, realizing no one was going to die when I caught at least one sound from each of the group members. My teeth dug into my lower lip at the thought of losing someone. The idea of perpetually being in the debt of one of the Warriors because with their life taken, there was no deed I could do them, not one that would change the end that they met. They saved my life countless times and not being able to return even something gave me this pain of guilt that ebbed my side.

I opened my eyes to take in what was around us. It was a barrier of metal spikes, what had fallen down from the heavens. It was trapping us from every angle, no light from outside peeking in from some crack. I knew it to be true watching the others put their hands to the metal, looking about it for an escape. We were completely sealed in. My mouth let out the words that my mind was too afraid to admit in a hoarse whisper: "It-it's a tomb."

My composure somewhat composed, the Warrior of Flame helped me to my feet, and then he proceeded to walk over to the wall. His reflection stared back at his dirt-marred and cut up face. They were his battle scars that seemed to define him as our persevering leader. "I refuse to be encased in here like a rat caught in a trap. Mercurymon tried to put me in a coffin, and I fought back! This is no different, so I'm gonna try breaking outta here! Who's with me?"

Smiles appeared on all of our faces, a noiseless agreement to join his efforts. He just never failed to motivate the Warriors into fighting on. _He_ _may be a child, but he was the right child to pick in a place like this. Good choice, Ophanimon. No mistakes here._

We pulled out our D-Tectors and Evolved simultaneously, Takuya into his Fusion form, I into my Polymerization, and the rest taking on their Human forms. Circled together with our backs pointed toward each other, our fronts directed toward the metal trap, we let out attacks full-force at our inanimate opponent. It seemed originally effective…

…Until we realized it wasn't.

"Okay, what the diddly?" Beetlemon snapped, sounding more like JP at that moment than his Warrior self. _Diddly? Okay, never thought I'd hear him say that in this lifetime. Metal pillars sticking in the ground and portraying a long, steady doom must do that to a guy…_

Kazemon quickly agreed with the Bearer of Thunder. "Yeah! With all of us working together, we didn't even dent this stupid thing!" She flew down to the ground and put her hand to her chin after De-Spirit Evolving. "We need a different approach. If attacking it won't work, then what will?"

The rest of us followed suit, and I caught glimpse of Patamon digging in the dirt, his butt in the air while he chanted, "Gotta dig! Gotta dig! Gotta dig, dig, dig, dig!" And began flinging dirt at Bokomon, much to the radish-head's annoyance. When his surrogate father-mother demanded to know why he was messing around in the dirt, the little Digimon stopped. He turned around, his big blue eyes with excitement. "Silly! I'm trying to dig a tunnel!"

"Tunnel?" Bokomon repeated as everyone else caught drift of the idea.

Patamon laughed at his parent's apparent ignorance at the meaning. "Yeppies! Tunnel! C'mon! Dig!" And turned around to begin at the task again with this cheerful aura about him. He seemed so happy with the work he was doing, that it left everyone else in a stupor. He was smarter than he looked, and honestly, he didn't make it very hard to show the rest of us that he was probably more intelligent than we may ever be. That was irony on so many levels.

An extremely long and equally awkward silence ensued immediately after, the rest of the group just standing there and watching the youngest member do all of the work by himself, so if no one else was gonna say it, I would.

And I did.

With an English accent.

"You heard the lad! Dig, you bloody wankers!"

Needless to say, I think I scared a few people.

* * *

"Don't cha wish your girlfriend was _HOT_ like _ME_? Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a _FREAK_ like _ME_? Don't cha? Don't cha? Don't cha wish your girlfriend was _WRONG_ like _ME_? Don't cha wish your—Owww~! Mirai, why'd you hit me?"

"Because you singing that song is only funny the first time, Takuya!" I countered quickly, trying to ignore the feeling of soreness go over my fingers from digging for what felt like eternity. Eternity since they first dug into the dirt, eternity since the gogglehead first opened his mouth to sing the most random song ever. Okay, I had to admit it to myself, though. I liked his singing, no matter how often he hit the wrong note. His voice brought me back to better times, times when smaller versions of ourselves would be on the swings, singing the songs we had learned in Music Class that week, laughing when one of us got the lyrics wrong. But never before had those memories felt so far away from my grasp.

"Yeah, it's time for Mi-chan to sing a song!" Patamon exclaimed, bursting with an overly-bubbly tone. I had no idea where he was at this point. Everyone was either in the tunnel or not, having this rotation-thingy going on where only certain people would be in the tunnel digging at a time. Even though I was in the tunnel, I really didn't know who wasn't. Takuya was ahead of me, that was certain, but it was too dark to tell who else was or wasn't. The rest probably surrounded the job to us because they figured we didn't have far to go before we reached freedom.

My eyes widened, recognizing the nickname I had been given, and even though no one would have seen me, I pointed my index finger at Takuya lightly. I questioned back to where I thought the orange and tan Digimon's voice had come from, "You expect me to follow that?"

Takuya gave out a smug snicker. "That means I was awesome in Mirai-Speak."

"Yeah. Sure. If that's what you think it means." I narrowed my eyes at his remark, even though I knew that wouldn't make a difference. He was obviously pleased with himself, and no matter what he could or couldn't see would affect anything. So this noted, I sighed in exasperation and questioned, "So what do you wanna hear, Patamon? I can't promise you that it'll sound as good as Takuya's little American Idol performance you just witnessed." The response was nonexistent, no voices answering back to my question over the sound of dirt in motion. "Okay, is anyone even in here anymore besides us, Takuya?" _Way to leave me to do all the work, guys. Thanks._

There was a slight pause when he stopped digging. "Mmm, doesn't seem like it. But that's good, 'cause in a place like this, we can do things without anyone _ever_ knowing abou—Oww~! Stop doing that!" I heard the sound of his hand rubbing his opposite arm in addition to a groan. "Can't you take a joke? I wasn't even thinking about things like that."

I would've tried to lock eyes with him if I knew where his eyes were. "Well, you kinda have to be thinking about it in order to make a remark like that," I responded, but in reality understanding his specific meaning. He knew my current commitment, or at least even _he_ had to be smart enough to figure it out, and I knew him well enough that he would keep off of me because of it. Teasing me was fine both ways, but if he were to cross that line, he'd hit some serious _kuso_. Lucky, lucky him.

His voice was flat when he retorted back, "You're crazy, woman."

"Oh, so now I'm a _woman_?" A smirk formed on my face, not used to the terminology of 'woman' used on me, but still his overall wording amusing me. I awaited eagerly for his reply, which came quickly and without missing a single beat. That boy…

"Well, you certainly don't hit like a girl."

We both took a moment to laugh at his remark. I hadn't thought things would be so casual between us, not after how angry I had been. Our relationship had been completely severed for the longest time, but now we could just sit here and laugh at a dumb joke while trapped by the work of Cherubimon and in a world where we're forced to fight for our very lives. Maybe it was the insanity that was gripping on our brains, urging us to live on with techniques of survival of the fittest, but something made me feel very alive.

Our lightheartedness was abruptly interrupted by the ground beginning to tremble violently, dirt crumbling down from above and onto us like an intense hail shower. I lost my sense of direction almost instantly, confusion mixing up with my panic, as Takuya grabbed my hand in his and called back into our prison while forcing his way the rest of the way into the outside world and pulling me with, "Guys, get out quick before the tunnel collapses!"

We all escaped outside to safety and watched the towers of metal fall, drawing up clouds of dust that burned at the contact with my skin. The force brought winds that whipped around my figure as the entire time, I still grasped hard to the Flame Inheritor's hand and held my eyelids tight to each other. Piercing through the sound of the wall crashing, a loud, fierce cry came from across the desolate land, shockwaves traveling across the ground.

I turned towards the sound, dropping Takuya's hand and watching with a slightly-gaping mouth. From behind me, I heard JP's voice questioning, "That couldn't have been a Digimon, could it?" _I hate admitting that it really could be…_

"Of course. Have you forgotten all of the different Digimon that we've faced so soon?" Bokomon responded in as-a-matter-of-factly tone.

Takuya walked up next to me and turned back to the group, his eyes burning with a fiery passion that only came when that person deep down inside him took control. That person made the boy seem so much older. "I haven't. So let's go find Koji."

An explosion erupted from far into the horizon and seeing it clogged my breath up into my throat. My lip trembled with all of the thoughts that suddenly rushed into my mind and in a single instant, I felt my body moving in the direction chaos had ensued, the world flying under my feet. _No, no, no…_ "K-Koji…"

I ignored the exclamations made by my fellow Warriors, my gaze pointed straight forward for what felt like for forever and a day. But I needed to get there; I needed to get to Koji. He had saved me from myself in the far corner of my mind, he was able to pull me from my nightmares, and now it was my turn to go to him. The thought of me being too late scared me near to death, and all the times that the picture of me running to his motionless body appeared, I could feel my feet carrying me faster and faster. I wasn't going to stop. I _refused_.

Not even God knows how many minutes passed, but every moment, I could hear the sounds of the other Legendary Warriors running close behind me and keeping in hard pursuit. Maybe they cared enough to persevere as well, maybe they refused to go down and fall victim to the exhaustion that was tugging on all of our sleeves, maybe it didn't matter that I felt about Koji differently than they; it didn't make them more willing to back down.

Then I saw him. His tall, beautiful figure, his flawless face, his soft ebony hair, his crystalline blue eyes. It wasn't with a hesitation that I cried out his name and threw my arms around him in a tight embrace, never ever wanting to release him. I didn't realize I was sobbing until the tears were already razors down my cheeks and my eyes were burning like hell. My exhales were stuttered out of my lips, my voice squeaking out over and over, "K-K-Koji… K-K-Koji… K-K-Koji…"

He put his hands onto my back and pulled me close, resting his cheek on top of my head, trying to soothe me and calm down my flaring emotions. His fingers ran up to my hair and caressed it in a way that reminded me of how my mother used to do it when I was younger the nights I'd awaken from a bad dream. In a way it was the same thing now. His presence had pulled me out of my bad dreams of a world without him and now he put those visions to rest.

"Koji! Are you okay?"

Takuya's voice shouting out the Light Warrior's name and a following question knocked me out of my daze abruptly, and I could immediately sense their forms behind me. But sensing really wasn't necessary at this point, as the minute that Zoe saw us how we were wrapped in each other's arms, she let out one of those helium-sounding exclamations, "Oh my God, KAWAII~!" At that, we immediately dropped our arms and stood there out of place, which caused her to add, "Takuya, I think he's doing a little better than _okay_." She giggled girlishly and sent me a knowing wink.

Tommy clearly didn't get what had just gone down between Koji and me that made Zoe squeal and responded aloud with a bit of a relieved sigh, "Well, that's good news. We all heard that explosion and thought that maybe you were in it."

"Well, I kinda was…" he admitted quietly, his eyes drifting off of the faces of those around him and to the darkness beyond. He had a hint of something in his voice; it was soft and filled with tenderness that he normally didn't display while in conversation with the other Warriors, like something had reached him that penetrated deep under his skin. His eyes were clouded with thought, distancing him from the true reality that surrounded him.

I stepped back to look at his figure, from his feet up to his face. "What do you mean? You can't be _kinda_ in it. Were you or weren't you, Koji?" My fingers went up to touch his shoulder, but remembering who was all present, I decided against it and stopped mid-motion.

"It was Velgemon. He used Cherubimon's power to Evolve from Duskmon and attack." He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye and then back towards the rest of the group. "I don't know how I managed to get out of there alive. Before I knew what happened, he was backing off and flying away." Pulling out his D-Tector, he looked down and stared hard at the blank screen, as if silently asking his Spirits of Light for his desired answers.

"Man, I'm sick of that guy," Takuya grumbled, pressing his fingers tight into his palms and frowning in his deepest irritation.

Bokomon cut in when it seemed like the gogglehead was going to say something more, raising up his arm. "My boy, I must admit there are only very few that can stand up to Velgemon and still walk away alive." _Yes, because most of them walk away dead._ "I'm simply flabbergasted." His tone was of legit surprise, but his words seemed like he was meaning that Koji should feel proud that he managed to drive such an emotion out of the informational Digimon.

Koji stared hard at the raddish-head Digimon for a moment, seemingly more for the reason he was too busy thinking to turn away than trying to read his expression and gather the meaning. "I guess…" he mumbled carelessly, his face moving away from our sight.

"Well, hello there!" Patamon flew over and dropped himself into Koji's arms. He snuggled up to his shirt and smiled widely, his eyes disappearing while his enjoyment increased with a short laugh. "I'm Patamon! You're the one with Mi-chan, right?"

Koji's eyes widened as he repeated the name in slow motion, tossing it all around in his head. "Mi…chan?" As soon it dawned on him, his cheeks brightened and his pupils started going all around in every direction. "Well, I…uh…"

The small Digimon, however, just laughed at the reaction that he made. "Heehee, Ko-kun is funny!"

I veered my head away from the group after getting a smug expression from one clearly-pleased-that-this-was-all-playing-out-very-well-very-easily Warrior of Wind. Crossing my arms and gazing off into the emptiness above, I pretended to be preoccupied with something off in the distance. In reality, however, I was flipping scared for my life that I wasn't ever gonna hear the end of some sort of twisted form of torment that apparently came with being "the one Ko-kun was with", as I was probably now going to be dubbed as being. Although the admitting came to me after a few short moments of thought: Ko-kun really was a cute pet name for him.

Bokomon cleared his throat to get our attention and interrupt the awkward moment that was beginning to ensue. "Well, I can't believe that I'm actually getting to finally say this, but now that Koji's here, we can finally go on our way and get to the Rose Morning Star!" he exclaimed, throwing both of his hands up and seeming way too happy to be marching off to a big, gruesome place that was probably going to soon become a battlefield in which we fight for our lives.

"Yeah! So let's get into gear, guys!" Takuya agreed with a gritty tone that he only used in certain moments, also over-enthusiastic about this, especially when his fist went flying into the air and he showed off his toothy grin to the whole Digital World.

"Hey, I've been ready this entire time…" JP gloated, raising his palms in a way that said, 'What can I tell ya? I'm just that awesome.'

I turned to Koji to hear his response, seeing Patamon also watching him in perplexity. The Warrior's face was shrouded with thought as he stared up into space. Suddenly his eyes grew wide and he whispered to himself in a manner that didn't make me think he knew he was speaking aloud, "Did she mean…?" His mouth expanded and his pupils shrunk in size. "He must have answers for me…" Without warning, he then shoved Patamon into Zoe's arms and took off sprinting.

"K-Koji?" The wind suddenly felt cold all around me as I murmured his name. I felt sorrow for the Light Inheritor, realizing he must've been going through mental turmoil and needed time to ponder desperately. It didn't feel right just letting him go off and trying to fight his demons on his own. It reminded me of what my double had said about him, making me wonder if it was really true. Were these his personal conflicts? Had he been avoiding them and running from his reality? _Can I help him somehow?_

Takuya reached out for him even though there was no way he could've grabbed his arm and made him stop. He shouted after him, "Hey, where you going? Koji, come back!" He stood watching as his friend's figure disappeared, a frown painted onto his face. "Why can't he learn that he can't solve his problems all by himself?"

"He's just trying to look out for us, trying to keep us out of harm's way…" I replied quietly, stepping beside him and studying his facial features. I didn't know how to continue with what I wanted to say. I wanted to explain just how I perceived what Koji was going through, what he was enduring to keep us in the dark of all of his complications and prevent us from falling into some sort of trouble in our attempts to assist him. He wasn't closed off and introverted for no reason; he was protective.

"Or maybe he ran off to find his psychiatrist!" Neemon suddenly exclaimed, earning a loud, painful *SNAP!*

We all for the most part ignored that last comment and Takuya turned to the Warriors of Wind, Thunder, and Ice. "I'm gonna go get 'im." _Aka, you guys aren't gonna go get him; you're just gonna sit around here bored till I get back._ A long pause as they stared at him enough for him to add, "Why you all looking at me like that? Just wait here and I'll be back before you know it." _Ha, I so called that. Either he's really predictable or I'm a genius. Or both._

After Tommy had told him that he couldn't leave, JP started going into this weird little rant thing that would've sounded good if only he had a corresponding manga and some fitting music to go along with it. "It's just like a scary movie. Never forget the horror movie rule." He took the time to shake his index finger at Takuya like a parent instructing a child. "The Boogieman strikes when no one can hear you scream! That's what happens every time someone goes off on their own. Break the rule and you're toast."

"Thanks for already deeming Koji as dead, then," I muttered flatly, causing him to give me an annoyed look while everyone else just closed their eyes and shook their heads at the chocolate-loving guy's ehem, "words of wisdom" (or lack thereof).

Takuya crossed his arms defiantly. "Yep, well, all right then. I'm just gonna go take my chances with the Bookie-man."

This caused more stares, this time at the gogglehead.

"You mean Boogieman, Takuya," Zoe corrected with a groan and the pressing of her fingers to her face as if she had a headache. She had this look that said she wasn't far from giving up on wondering why she even tried to make sense with anyone here.

"What did I say?"

"…Never mind." She sighed. It seemed like all she really _could_ do at this point.

I decided at this point to ruin this deranged moment that was beginning to take shape with quick, conclusion-making talk. "Okay, well, now see we'll be back in a jiffy." I grabbed his arm and began to pull him off, grinning back in a cheesy manner to make them not suspect anything overly-devious on my part. "I'll make sure no Boogieman gets him! Not a hair will be out of place when we return!" I then plucked a hair off his head, causing him to give another wussy 'Oww~! _Mirai_~!' thing out.

* * *

After a while of running in silence aside from the sound of our breathing and our shoes hitting the dirt, we slowed to a walk and exchanged glances. I quickly turned away when we locked eyes and my mind began to swim all around. It surprised me when his voice suddenly came out with a question presented, "So you and Koji?"

I nearly tripped on the air at this. "What?" As the blood in my face started seemingly pumping faster, I fiddled with my fingers to keep my mind and eyes distracted. I let a silence follow not so I could think about his inquiry, but moreover to see if the embarrassment would lessen the more time that passed by without a response. Unfortunately for me, it didn't. In fact, it probably increased, since that meant that his eyes were glued to me all the longer.

After what felt like complete hours, I slowly let my head move in the motion of a nod.

"I'm sorry."

My head turned towards him when those words came from his lips, striking me with hard puzzlement. I met again his gaze, his face solid and void of all emotions, and made me wonder what he really meant, what he really felt. My voice portrayed my nervousness to question, "W-what?"

"I'm sorry…" I watched him warily as he brought together his words, in case he got into one of those moods where he was close to losing it completely. "…that you're stuck with someone that doesn't compare to me."

A smirk formed on his face.

I forced myself to put on a pout and cross my arms, trying to portray distance. "Ha, you'd like to think so." I drew automatically close when he put his arm around my shoulders, a smile escaping from inside me where my actions and emotions were controlled and knitted into partners.

To this, he didn't give a retort back to me like was his norm, but instead, began to hum a tune that I immediately recognized. The temptation came to ask him to sing with me, so it wouldn't be so different from the past, but I decided against this, knowing that even though he had used to enjoy singing with me, his interest probably changed and it'd be overly strange in feeling for him to make a duet while walking out in the desolate Digital World. Instead, I began to sing on my own,

"You by the light is the greatest find. In a world full of wrong, you're the one thing that's right. Finally made it through the lonely to the other side.

"You said it again, my heart's in motion, every word feels like a shooting star. I'm at the edge of my emotions, watching the shadows burning in the dark, and I'm in love and I'm terrified. For the first time and the last time in my only life.

"This could be good, it's already better than last. And nothing's worse than knowing you're holding back. I could be all that you needed if you let me try.

"You said it again, my heart's in motion, every word feels like a shooting star. I'm at the edge of my emotions, watching the shadows burning in the dark, and I'm in love and I'm terrified. For the first time and the last time in my only life.

"I only said it 'cause I mean it, I only mean it 'cause it's true. So don't you doubt what I've been dreaming, 'cause it fills me up and holds me close whenever I'm without you…

"You said it again, my heart's in motion, every word feels like a shooting star. I'm at the edge of my emotions, watching the shadows burning in the dark, and I'm in love and I'm terrified. For the first time and the last time in my only life."

Takuya smiled at me one of his innocent smiles that would make girls back home go 'Aww! So cute!' and wanna pet him. "Still amazing, Mirai." He gave me a squeeze closer to him and brought out a full-fledged beaming that he was ever-so famous for. "So who was that for?"

I was ready for that question this time around, a response prepared. "You tell me. You were the one humming it."

This apparently caught him a bit in surprise, as his mouth dropped open a little as he was going to answer, but decided against it for whatever reasoning he possessed. The pause that occurred in his moment of weakness and hesitation apparently gave him permission to change subjects. "So what exactly are you to me now?" he questioned quickly, sounding just downright curious to know what my reply was going to end up being to this.

Blinking a few times, I had to take my own moment to ponder exactly what his question was implying and what consequences would follow based on what I'd say. I shrugged after chasing the answer around in circles in my head a good number of times. "…You're… like a brother to me."

He nodded in his understanding, not necessarily in his acceptance. But then without visible reasoning, he stopped abruptly and looked at me with a contorted expression that showed a bit of bafflement. But deep down, I could see a smirk preparing to make its debut. "Wait. For me to be your brother, wouldn't you have to marry Shinya?"

* * *

**Yep, so that's the chappie! I know it ended abruptly, but I personally like the ending quote. And as for the song, I just remembered about it earlier today and I reeeally wanted to put it in!**

**Please lemme know what you think, my poppets! :D**


	35. Chapter 33

***sucks in a lot of air* Gomen gomen gomen gomen gomen gomen gomen gomen gomen gomen gomen gomen gomen! **

**This chapter took FOREVER! I'm really really sorry for that-I tried really hard to get it out quickly, but three months isn't very fast, is it? It's just that March to May are pretty much my busiest months of the year because I have track. My season was really long this year because I made it to state for my 1600M run (of which I failed epicly at state, coming in 16th out of 16... *shot*). **

**But fear not! Chapter 33 is finally complete! And it is very long too! I had to go by episode for a lot of it, but as a consolation KOICHI IS HERE! YAY! *throws confetti***

**Anyway, down to business here. I promised one of my close buddies, known as Zorua15 on this site, that I would help her get some help for her fanfics, so I told her I would get some of you people to help her out by requesting assistance right HERE! *big Takuya-style grin* So, she's a big Pokemon fanatic, and that makes Pokemon her biggest topic of fanfiction. Right now she's in need of some OCs in her story Original Stream (the OC details are in her profile. If you go to my profile, she's under my Favorite Authors), and also, she would like more assistance with her plotline. What she has so far is more of a sub-plot so any ideas that will strengthen it or entire plot ideas will be really helpful to her. **

**The story is anime-based, but she doesn't like how light-hearted and fake the anime is, so she's going for a realistic-ness (at least, however realistic you can get with Pokemon) like the manga has. It goes along with the Hoenn arc timeline, so the main villains are Aqua, Magma, occasionally Rocket, and another organization that I helped create that will have an important role later on.**

**So please please please help her with this! I spend a lot of time trying to give her ideas and such, but honestly, I'm completely dry of ideas for it. If you can at least make an OC, it will help a lot! You can PM her everything. THANKS!**

**Okay, back on Frontier-ness. Chapter 34 is going to all freestyle writing, so that there's some tension relief before the Cherubimon episodes (mainly because I can only write serious stuff for so long before cracking like an egg). And this is where YOU, my beautiful R&R'ers come in! (wow, I'm asking a lot of you people today. Gomen!) You guys get to decide what the Frontier gang do in this chapter! I considered another beach episode kind of senario, but it's all up to you guys! Leave ideas in your reviews and I'll try to incorporate them into the chapter! Thankies, my poppets~! **

**So now, all of that said, (this must be my longest author's note ever) please enjoy Chapter 33! (cuz it only took me 3 months...)**

* * *

Chapter 33

Nothing distinguished the land we were treading on from anywhere else we had walked long before. It all seemed all-too similar, like even though we were walking in a straight in line, something still caused us to go around in a big circle. This was the curse of the Dark Continent; absolute desolation that could trap weary travelers into its emptiness and bring them to the point of such hunger and thirst that insanity was quick to grab hold on their minds.

It wasn't clear if this reality had struck Takuya. As we went, I shot glances over to the brunette on occasion, but the entire time, his expression didn't change from his rather nonchalant portrayal, so I didn't figure any real pessimism was brought into his vision. That is, unless he was hiding it from me. I hated it when he did that; it was like he was trying to put a pillow on all of the negatives and so I'd have something soft to land on if something occurred, a cushioning to keep me mentally stable.

This was one of his best, but in the same way worse, qualities. He was highly-protective of his loved ones, and a trait like that was greatly admirable, but yet in a different end of the spectrum, it still put a handicap on the growth of others. He used up his energy trying to put comfort on others, keeping an umbrella over their heads, and this curbed their sense of reality. Maybe some of the protection was needed, yes, but overly-given made a twisted reality that someone will always come to their rescue that isn't always necessarily true.

"…_You're…like a brother to me."_

My own words ricocheted off the inside of my skull like a Ping-Pong ball on a table. My mauve eyes trailed back over to him and looked his figure up and down, seeing if any new realization would come upon me. _Brother,_ I frowned at the sound of it, _Why did I say brother? Is that really the true reality? And…_ He caught me glancing at him and I whirled my gaze straight ahead, even though it was already too late to hide the truth. _…how does he think of me?_

A snide grin appeared on his face as he snorted out, "Checkin' out the real estate, are we?" A laugh escaped his lips when he saw my look change into a glower with narrowed eyes at his cocky retort, and he slapped me on the back. When I continued to scowl, he began to watch me and all of my movements. "Or…not?"

I spun around and gave him a playful punch in the stomach. "'Or not' is right, Kanbara," I scoffed back, proceeding to walk ahead a little bit. In our path was a sudden drop-down. About halfway down, what had to be easily seven feet, were large boulders right next to each other. I stared down at them a little bit, trying to figure out how my chances were of hurting myself if I attempted to jump down onto one of them. Climbing was probably the best bet I had, but if I lost my grip and fell, I'd have a higher chance of hitting my head and sustaining more serious injuries.

While I looked around for a different route, Takuya just merely glanced at what his obstacle was before jumping down, kicking off them to land securely at the bottom. He seemed pretty pleased with himself with how well that all went when he turned and pointed his head back up towards me with an expression that clearly said, 'Your turn'.

A moment was taken on my part to gulp and gather up my bearings, or whatever I actually had to gather up. I hadn't ever been afraid of heights until I jumped, when trying to duplicate the Flame Warrior's move, slipped a bit when my foot made contact with the side of one of the rocks, and found myself plummeting.

…On top of Takuya.

He made this noise that I didn't even know was physically possible for voice boxes, especially for a guy's voice box, to make that sounded like a mix between a hyena's laugh and an infant screeching for its mother to feed it. It made me think of the possibility that maybe I hit him hard enough that he wouldn't be able to have children. "Mirai," he stuttered out in the sound of a hoarse, gravelly moan, "I think…you…uh…broke me."

I leapt up to my feet, my hands clasped over my agape mouth. I tried to keep from laughter, but pretty much failed at that attempt, as I scoffed out overly-sarcastically, "Well, I guess that's one way to make a guy sing soprano."

He merely sent me narrowed eyes and a frown. "You're not nice sometimes," he stated, trying to keep a stern, serious expression and tone, but beginning to let a smile slip in through it. Despite how hurt he must've been from the unexpected blow, he couldn't keep negative on for too long. Dang those rose-colored glasses.

"Maybe you're just not good at life," I countered quickly, grabbing his hand and pulling him back up onto his feet. I watched his expression, waiting for a scowl to be given to me, and when it was, I stuck my index finger up to him accusingly. "You know it's true."

He groaned in defeat, knowing that I wasn't going to concede with this, even if I was just teasing him about something that had hardly truth within it. "If you're about done—" He shrugged his shoulders with a sudden, surprising smile. "—we should keep going. We have to find Koji so you can tell him just how much you _looove_ him!"

That (in combination with his dorky smirk) set me off a little bit.

WHACK!

WHACK!

WHACK!

* * *

"You hit hard enough…"

Takuya rubbed his arm as we made our way through one of the forests that dotted the Dark Continent. It had much of the same scenery as the forest where we first met Duskmon, so much so that I questioned the possibility that it actually _was_ the same forest. I hoped not, as I didn't feel like getting openly mocked by Pipismon as I had then. Plus, there was also that paranoia about getting attacked by Edward Cullen… That…was not right…

I had been a step ahead of him in our trek and at this I spun on my heel to face him. "Yup, well, crap happens." I spun back around and my eyes started scanning around for anything out of the ordinary. Or at least out of the ordinariness of the Digital World, which after reflecting, it was easy to realize that it wasn't at all ordinary. In my motion of turning back around, I saw a blur, screamed like a total girl, and proceed with throwing my arms over my head to protect it.

The pathetic part was that it turned being a tree branch.

And it grew humiliating when a certain Warrior of Flame decided to erupt with laughter at my little display of courage. "That was…" He paused, a grin on his face. He received his due amusement that I jinxed myself with by hitting him so many times. "I don't even _know_ what that was!"

A pout consumed my face as it began to heat. "Try epic fail," I mumbled with the crossing of my arms. My eyes darted off to the side and I began to wonder what color they were, as I never thought to look at them when I was feeling embarrassed. "Let's just go, Takuya. You're the one that wanted to be the one to get and bring back Koji. We can do that without any distractions—" The next portion was a mere grumble. "—and without laughing at me…"

His hands went up before his shoulders as he said, "Okay, okay…" He then looked at me with a sincere expression, making it seem like that last moment was just all of my head and how flustered I got was just all in my head. "But you know, Mirai…" His arm extended out towards me, his face overcome by the sweetest smile he could conjure up. When he gave me that look, I could see a vision of a version of him almost two feet shorter running to me with that same expression, taking my younger self's hand, and leading her off onto our crazy little adventures that never seemed to go farther than the next block one way and the park where we met the other way.

I stared at his hand a moment, trying to memorize the lines written upon it. My gaze trailed back up to him to study his chocolate-brown eyes, full of innocence and affection. Again and again, I couldn't get that question out of my head: _Why did I hate him so much?_

There was no way in hell that my negative feelings toward him were justified; I realized that fully in Sakkakumon. Before that experience, maybe it brought me into a guilty denial that knew that fact, but part of me wanted to make it with meaning so much, I forced myself to remain angry, like I could pull off the scab over and over as long as I felt strongly about it. But I really couldn't recall my reasoning, and even if I managed to conjure something remotely within bounds, it wouldn't matter to me now. We were teammates, companions, friends.

I wasn't certain how close of friends we were now or how close he thought we were, and we obviously didn't completely restore the bond we shared in childhood, but we were improving slowly yet steadily. It gave me a deep sense of hope that maybe we'll be back to close friends again and we can call each other by the affectionate names of our blissful past.

He tilted his head slightly, watching me studying him. His extended hand remained an offer to me and when I reached out towards it in slow motion, he snatched up my arm and pulled me close to him, our fingers instantly interlaced. His smile turned to a cheesy, taunting grin. "I can hold your hand if you get scared." I swung my palm towards his face for the who knows what time now, except he narrowly turned his head aside to avoid it, causing him to erupt with laughter. "Must you always resort to slapping me when you're embarrassed?"

Pulling away from him and crossing my arms, I frowned at him in what was mostly a childish irritation. He hit the nail on the head, and he knew it. It was just like back when we were a thing, when he would do some public display of affection that I was completely against showing (of which I was to the point I wouldn't even stand close to him while walking), I'd find myself getting flustered overly so and jumping to a violent reaction. It amused most people that witnessed it, earned a cringe of empathy from others, and to me, I never gave the reaction a second thought. It just sort of happened.

As we held gazes on each other, his still a smirk of cockiness and mine a provoked scowl, I was first to continue walking on. Despite the appearance of such chumminess, something just didn't feel right. An unknown alarm went off in my head, telling me that something that was so shouldn't have been. It kept warning me over and over, _Don't get close, don't get close, don't get close…_ I couldn't determine why my inner intelligence was telling me this, as I knew Takuya meant me no harm, nothing that my previous self would've thought, but still. Something piqued a little hunk in my mind and kept me on my toes involuntarily. Did I not trust the judgment of myself?

_Do I not trust him as much as I led myself to believe? Do I think, deep down, that he will only do me harm?_

I pulled my fingers through my bangs. My feet suddenly stopped moving at the thought, the thoughts coming in and leaving me with varying feelings from one instant to the next. It formed a new picture in my mind, awakened an old memory I had long forgotten.

_The perpetual patter of rain outside our apartment building had been going on for hours. Lightning illuminated my entire room, revealing the shapes and silhouettes of all around me. The boom of the accompanying thunder rattled the window, as if it were going to break at any moment and let the tempest inside. Across the room, Yukio's bed was empty, my brother having spent the night over at a friend's house, and left me alone in the night with my terrors beckoning me closer and closer._

_I sat in the middle of my bed, my blanket draped over my head and my knees pulled tight to my chest. I hated storms, and I hated staying in an empty room with them just a wall between us. I wasn't sure of the root of my fear, but between the darkness of night and the chaos brewing outside, I could never find myself able to lay down and let my dreams take over. If I found myself dozing on a rare occasion, the loud booming would jerk me awake and send panic throughout my body._

_Pressing my face into my knees, I let out a high-keyed, soft whine. My fingers strained through my bangs to try to console myself as I usually attempted, but like every other circumstance in which I tried, it was all in vain. It wouldn't make the night grow quiet with serenity and the moon begin to break through the clouds. I couldn't sooth myself and grow out of my fears, only spurred on and on by the conditions of nature that were only growing worse._

_My ears caught the sound of my bedroom door creaking open. I peered through the little gap in my blanket and before catching sight of who had entered the room, I felt mattress under me sink down with added weight and someone pull me close. I recognized his scent as he lifted the blanket off me and drooping it over his shoulder opposite me so that it caped the both of us. I rested my cheek up against his arm and closed my eyes for a moment. _

_Thunder boomed and I shuddered._

_His index finger ran up and down my arm, his warmness filling me, such a small motion that seemed to bring me a new sense of comfort. I reached over and grasped his hand, under my breath whispering to him, "Thank you, _nii-san_." _

My eyes suddenly came to see reality again, startled by how quickly the Memory Aura had come to an end. I curled my fingers in and out of a fist, regaining my feeling of control of my senses. When I turned towards Takuya, who had his eyes set on me in slight fright, he eased at my return to consciousness. He seemed to study each of my motions as if going down a mental checklist to be certain that everything was all right with me. "Are you okay? You suddenly froze and wouldn't answer me."

The gift I inherited from AncientZeitmon was someone I had forgotten to mention to anyone. It would clearly aid our team to inform at least some of the Warriors of it, I figured, and I bit my lip as I tried to think of a good way to put it into words. "I see things—I-I remember things…" I watched him snap into attention at my quiet tone. "AncientZeitmon, the Ancient Warrior of Time. She possessed this ability—she called it Memory Aura. I can recall things from the past, the exact time I can't tell, but I'll see a flashback. Like a movie kind of."

The Warrior of Flame looked a little baffled for a moment, but then turned to acceptance of my explanation. He shrugged and said with a little hint of pleasure in his voice, "I guess that makes you an asset, then." He put his hand on my shoulder, his fingers moving across my skin gently and his warm touch giving me a small feeling of reassurance, and I just stared at it, trying to gather his meaning for doing so. "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise, Miri."

_Miri_… That name. I couldn't recall how long it had been since he had used that name. It used to be the only thing he called me and every time it would slip from his lips, I would think, _He means me. He calls me that because he cares deeply for me. He wants to make me happy; he wants me to have a reason to smile._ It would always bring me out of any gloominess that I held onto, made me toss negativity to the back of my mind, and do just what the name told me to do: Be happy. Smile.

And that's what I did, vaguely, but still. My lips curled upward only slightly, appreciating his gesture and words more than he could ever realize. But still, there was that little voice in the back of my mind that kept repeating the words over and over, _Don't get close, don't get close…_ I pulled my voice past it, putting my eyes onto his face to study his bright brown orbs, and responded quietly, "Thanks, Takuya. That means a lot." I watched his expression change into something I couldn't define. _What is that look for? Did I say something wrong?_

"Come see! Come _see_!"

Our attention was suddenly averted at the sound of that familiar, high-key voice. We went on and in only a few short strides, came to find Patamon, Bokomon, and Neemon. By the looks on their faces, it seemed as though they had been lost, and by Bokomon's reaction of yelping and falling backwards, he was clearly not suspecting our sudden appearance. We greeted each other by name, which caused Neemon to say, "Well, I'm glad that's outta the way. I thought I was gonna have to change my name!"

As I shook my head as the dumb remark, Bokomon began to scold the yellow rabbit for such a ridiculous thought. But then out of the blue, he turned to us and questioned as if we were suddenly the stupid ones, "Where is Koji?"

As I cast my head away, trying to appear distracted so I wouldn't have to be the one to have to answer that question I wanted to avoid altogether, Takuya frowned and furrowed his brows together. "We can't find him anywhere…"

Patamon flew past in his waddling manner, looking like he was en route to finding the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. His voice seemingly rose even higher than it was before, which I didn't originally think that was even possible. "Betchya betchya I can! Come see! Come see Koji! Follow me to Koji! _Seeee?_"

I groaned before quietly muttering, "I can only take so many of those singsong rhyme-things…"

Takuya dropped his arm around my shoulders and grinned, watching the little once-powerful Digimon lead the way. "You know, I bet Patamon can lead us right to Koji! He used to be a Celestial Digimon, and I can put my money on him that he still has some of those powers. After all, he did lead us to that invisible lake, and that was…well, invisible." His finger drummed on my shoulder as he continued jokingly, "So maybe you should wait to kill him for his way with words until _after_ he takes us to Koji."

My head turned automatically towards the Warrior of Flame and I sighed. "Yeah, all right." I shrugged out of his half-embrace and began to follow Patamon. Suddenly I stopped and turned on my heels to look back at Takuya. "I'm not gonna have to find Koji myself, am I?" A moment of silence ensued as I veered back around with my back to him and continued pursuing the little hamster-like Digimon. "That was rhetorical, Takuya. I'm not gonna leave you behind." My chin lowered and my gaze stayed forward so that he couldn't see my smile.

He was beside me in mere moments, Bokomon and Neemon babbling about something and then coming up behind us. We walked in silence for the most part, merely listening to Patamon's little song-things of which didn't really make much sense, as they were all pretty much mixes between words and little 'bum da bum!' noises. At first they sounded all different and cheerful, but then they all blurred together and sounded identical as words went on… and on… and on.

Boredom hit me like a whack to the head by a two-by-four. I needed something to keep me busy as we went along, so I reached into my pocket to grab my D-Tector and futz with all of the buttons (God-willing I didn't break it). But as soon as my fingers wrapped around the cold metal of my Digivice, my mind filled with pictures and scenes, sounds enveloped my ears.

_Duskmon leapt up into the air, his head thrown back, but the large, white eyes that covered his body veering their gaze downward to their target. The target was a humanoid, white-and-gold-armored wolf that my mind connected as BeoWolfmon. I knew that form of Light, that resemblance that was undeniably a fusion between KendoGarurumon and Lobomon. Koji…_

_The Warrior of Darkness turned his head towards his opposite and a crimson Deadly Gaze shot from each eye, to which was deflected with the Beo Sabre, the large golden-hued weapon that was originally KendoGarurumon's blades. Duskmon landed lightly and with his jagged swords drawn and crossed before him, charged forward into the fray. He collided with BeoWolfmon and they held tight to each other, locked weapon-to-weapon, unyielding._

_The dark Digimon released a beam with the hue of blood from his chest, enveloping the Light Inheritor in the pain it induced. He cried out a heart-wrenching sound, his eyes squeezed shut, trying to endure the agony that was taking over his being. He crumbled to the ground and was encased in the Fractal Code that revealed his battered human form._

I ripped myself out of the Memory Aura. My head shot to Takuya, my voice cracking despite the composure I tried to force myself into. "Koji…I saw Koji…" My eyes went back to the direction Patamon was flying. "We have to go."

Running. That's all I could remember. I didn't feel the aching I knew that should've consumed my body, I couldn't hear or feel my heartbeat that was filling my chest. All I knew was I had to get there; I had to get to Koji. There was no telling what the result of that battle was or how long ago it took place. I just had to believe that we weren't going to be too late. We had to act. Here, there was no hoping, there was no praying. It was either do or die.

Takuya was all-around the better athlete; he knew just how vital our timing was in the fate of the Warrior of Light, and he took to a full sprint. I knew he wasn't going to let exhaustion slow him down, not when he was like this. Not when he was ever-so heart-set on the root of this determination that could so easily take over his being. It's what set him into motion and was what would fight for any one of his comrades until the bitter end.

He was several hundred meters ahead of me when my eyes set upon a dark-hued Digimon with the form as a large eagle circling around one single area. It bore three eyes upon its head, large wings spanned outward, and a bony tail stretched beyond its skeletal body. Its appearance reminded me of Hraesvelg in Norse mythology, called "Corpse Swallower". My mind connected the Norse name to the name of that Digimon that Koji had previously referred to. Velgemon. Beast Warrior of Darkness.

A bright red light shot from breaks in the ground, gradually forming a large circle in line with where the Beast flew. It was like a vulture circling in waiting for its prey to breathe its last.

I felt my breath threatening to choke me as I screamed out to Takuya, my feet stumbling over each other in complete haste and desperation, "Takuya! Please! _Go_!"

My feet tripped crumbled under me after losing my balance for the last time and finally failing to keep myself upright. My fingers clawed at the dirt before me, my eyes staring hard at a dark dome that closed up like a steel trap. Breath came staggered and shaken as I watched the eyes of the attack widen and the entire area trapped within disintegrate into nothingness instantly. I tightened my jaw and slowly pulled myself back to my feet. _Please… this can't be it…_

I brought myself back into a run, keeping my gaze up at Velgemon. _It couldn't have…?_ I stopped the thought, knowing Takuya. He would've put up a hellova fight before going down with one attack, and he would've defended Koji as well, making sure a single attack wouldn't take him down, either. And now that bird was in for a fight, because that brunette didn't take nearly being obliterated lightly. Between him and Koji, threats to either one of them weren't accepted with any kind of smile.

A sigh escaped at the sight of them, even though my intuition told me they were safe originally. I arrived to them in moment to see Koji, who was on the ground with the boy next to him, look to Takuya with a contented expression and say, "Just in time." His eyes shined brilliantly while the Flame Inheritor gave a thumbs-up, and then looked to me, his mouth opening slightly, but no words coming out. Words weren't spoken between us, but plenty was said.

During our moment of distraction, Velgemon cried out and swooped down towards us. Coming close enough that any one of us could reach up and touch him, the gust his speed created thrust us down into the area that the Beast's attack had destroyed, leaving us tumbling uncontrollably down into the newly-made hole. Looking around revealed that Bokomon and Neemon had fallen down as well, but on the other side, Neemon seemingly the worst off compared to everyone.

"Enough! Enough! Enough!" Patamon flew full-speed towards Velgemon's face and began using his Boom Bubble attack. His motive was well-administered, but executed all in vain.

"Patamon, what are you doing?" I called out, going to my feet and going over to go confront Velgemon with Takuya at my heels, making a remark about how Patamon was crazy. But not hearing Koji behind me, I stopped short and the brunette ran into my back. Before he could question why I stopped, I turned and looked back at the Warrior of Light. "…Koji?"

The raven-haired teen's eyes clouded with deep, intense thought. They were flicked with so many emotions as if he couldn't decide just how he was supposed to feel. His lips were pursed into a firm line, his enmity completely silent, like all life around him simply ceased to exist and he was now alone with only his mentalities plaguing him, spinning around and around like top losing energy and beginning to waver in its once-flawless motion.

Takuya stared at the boy, his face covered with creases of confusion. "Koji, what is it? Come on, we have to Spirit Evolve!"

A silence ensued before Koji's voice came out quiet, void of feeling, "I can't do it…" He remained unblinking as he stared straight ahead as if there was something there that the rest of us couldn't see. "Takuya…" His head dropped and his eyes trailed off to the ground to his right. "He…he's my brother. I can't fight him."

My mind instantly flashed back to what my duplicate had said when I faced her within that corridor in my mind, "_He holds not a candle to his_ nii-san." This brought me into perplexity. _So it was true? Is this why Cherubimon held Duskmon in such high regards? Because he's human—because he's Koji's own older brother. He was the most valuable of his pawns because he could hold him in safety till the time is right, and send him out when he wanted—it's a Shakespeare tragedy of brother against brother._

"That's impossible! Koji, you told me you were an only child!" Takuya's words of justification echoed when the memory came back to me when we were trapped on that floating island full of toys, when Koji had said he didn't know anything about having brothers. _Did he just happen to say 'brothers' instead of 'siblings'? Was that Fate's way of foreshadowing all of this, warning us to be wary of just what and who we may encounter here?_

The Warrior of Light closed his eyes. "Yeah, I thought I was…until—"

Takuya cut him off, getting close to his unmoving comrade, a look of complete irritation on his face. "You can't believe any of the crap that guy says! It's all just to deceive you and lower your guard! Have you learned nothing here? Not everyone is honest! You just can't take his words as truth—he's the enemy, he wants you _dead_! He's not going to tell you this for a sweet reunion, and he's sure as hell not going to ask to make amends to you for fighting against you! So just face reality and—"

"He's my brother!" Koji cut in sharply, his head turning towards him in a single, swift motion, his eyes flaring with intensity. Part of his expression, beyond the solemnity and level-headedness that he covered his weaknesses within, was consumed with desperation for us to believe.

His voice continued as he turned his head back away. It became soft; he was still trying to think all of this through. "I know it's true. I knew it the first time I met him. I don't know what it is, but there's just this feeling I get whenever I see him that reminds me of who he is to me. I don't know where the feeling came from, yet there's still something that tells me not to doubt it. There's no doubt in my mind about it: He's my brother. By some twist of fate, he's my brother…"

A pang of hurt struck me in the chest as I thought of my own brother Yukio. A part of me was envious of this blue-eyed boy before me; he knew nothing of his brother, he was merely going upon the feelings he got and the words of Duskmon of his sibling's existence, but still it was clear that he already cared about him.

Koji furrowed his brows and leaned forward, yanking his bandana from his head and putting his fingers into his bangs. Distress marred his face as he cried out, "And that _shiseiji_ Cherubimon! He gave him the Spirits of Darkness—my twin brother is the Warrior of Darkness!" He turned his head downward to conceal his face, but I saw the teardrop hit the dirt.

"Your brother…" Takuya paused to think of his little brother and suddenly a small smile grew on his face. I couldn't understand how he could be smiling right now. "Wow, Koji, I'm really happy for you. That's great." He rose to his feet. "Well, I'm sure you'll fight a lot, but that's just what brothers do."

None of what he said made any sense to me, no matter how much I turned it around in my mind. "Takuya, you can't compare this to fighting with Shinya. There's no way in hell that that even comes to compare to this. You and your little brother fight, you get over it and are okay to live with each other under the same roof within an hour, but this…" My eyes trailed upward to look for Velgemon. "…this is life or death. This is all just a game to Cherubimon; it makes him _laugh_ to pit Light against Darkness because he knows Koji won't harm his brother if he has any kind of heart. Bloodbaths are what spur from family feuds here, if you're human or not. You can't expect him to just up and try to beat the crap out of his _own brother_!"

Takuya stared hard at me as if I had betrayed him, his eyes like stone. His facial expression said it all without the use of physical words, _"You think I want to fight him? If we don't defend ourselves, he'll kill us all without hesitation. You might not understand this, but it's what we have to do."_

From the silence between us, Koji murmured the words, "I can't fight Koichi. He has an evil Spirit, but deep down he's still my brother. I can't harm him…" _Ko-Koichi…?_

The Warrior of Flame couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed his fellow Warrior by the collar of the shirt and pulled him up to his level, glaring daggers at him, "Listen to me, Koji! You're gonna fight, and I'll tell you why: It's _because _he's your brother! If his own brother won't save him, who will? Koichi needs you—_we_ need you—hell, the whole Digital _World_ needs you! If you're gonna give up, then who are you helping? What promises are you keeping? You're not fighting against your brother, you're fighting _for_ your brother! His life depends on you willing to fight for him!"

He released his grip on him when he saw Patamon being flung down to earth. "You can stay down here and feel sorry for yourself—hell, both of you can for all I care—but I'm going to do what should be done and fight!" He shot me another blaming expression before climbing up the side of the hole.

I couldn't understand it; why was he giving me that look over and over now? I tried to unravel that concept in my mind and then re-ravel it as if I were walking about in Takuya's shoes. That accusing leer. His firmness in defending the bond of siblings. That voice that said he knew what he was speaking of. It was as if he was trying to remind me of something that I should know full well about, but nothing was even close to coming to me. _Is he trying to make me think of an instance with Yukio? With my _nii-san_ Koichi? Who?_

My eyes lied upon Koji, who was sitting on the ground with his legs pulled up to his chest, completely silent and looking more like a lost little child than the headstrong teen he was. I didn't know what to say, what to do. This situation was all so new to me. It was a more common occurrence that he would come to my rescue and bring me comfort; he had this way with words that I in no shape or form possessed. And now was the time when I wished that I had a little bit of that gift. Takuya had an influence on the boy and I wasn't sure what it was, but he could do so much more than I could. Maybe it was that powerful look he got in his eyes when he spoke passionately, looking like he felt he could truly make a mark on things. Is that what I lacked? Sureness and determination? And are these things what Koji needed to hear?

But right now, nothing made sense to me. Takuya's face was still staring me down in my mind, his eyes rough with all of those emotions that drove into my chest, and his mouth still moving to those words: _If you're gonna give up, then who are you helping? What promises are you keeping? You're not fighting against your brother, you're fighting _for _your brother!_

Then it hit to me all in a flash. Promises:

"…_You're…like a brother to me."_

"_I won't let anything happen to you. I promise, Miri."_

My mind stopped at those words. He expected me to understand his standpoint because he was like my brother, I had told him so, because with that position, he promised to protect me. Because what he was doing right now was just like he had been doing all along. When my other self held control of me in Sakkakumon, when she was trying to kill him for his attempts to save me, he fought back with only the objective of my safety in mind. He didn't selfishly try to put his own protection as his priority. He was fighting for me no matter the cost, no matter what I had done to him in my anger. He remained faithful. He kept playing big brother.

He was keeping a promise before it had even been made.

This must've been what he was referring to. This protectiveness he had for all of the humans here, that older brother stature he possessed even to the older Warriors. It proved he was going to fight for anyone and everyone regardless. He was going to keep these unsaid assurances and be a brother.

I slipped my D-Tector out of my pocket. The screen matched my stare, counteracting those echoes that had been ringing in my mind that were saying not to get close with its words, _Dare to get close. Dare and you will thrive._ It made me understand why Takuya had smiled when thinking of his little brother in the midst of this. And because of this, I turned to Koji and said without full knowledge if he was even listening, "I'm sorry, Koji, I changed my mind. This time I agree with Takuya. You may not think this is my battle to fight, but I'll fight because your brother is depending on it."

Knowing not if he had heard me, I climbed out of the hole and pressed the button on my Digivice, a ring of ecru appearing around my hand. "Execute!" The scanner ran against the Data and sparks shot out in every direction. "Polymerization Spirit Evolution!" I felt the abilities and strength of my most powerful form consume me, taking over what amounts of human weakness I possessed in my small body. "Ryoushinmon!"

Drawing my sword, I ran to Takuya, who had evolved to his Fusion form Aldamon. At my arrival he gave a nod of recognition and the slightest of smiles. I noticed his body covered with wounds and bruises already sustained in this battle, a long gash stretched across one cheek as he stated, "Glad you could join us. Watch out, he's coming in fast."

Nodding firmly, I watched the motions of the incoming Beast. My fingers instantly under instinct aligned themselves into the proper places on the sword's hilt and tightened as one of my eyes trailed back over to Aldamon. By the look on his face, I knew he had a plan, and by how it changed, he suddenly knew that I had sensed it. The Ancient Spirit dwelling within me whispered in my ear and I knew just what Takuya wanted.

Immediately I took to action and as Velgemon drew close enough I could feel his body heat, I breezed past so that I was behind the Holder of Darkness and Aldamon was in front, receiving the full face of combat. I leapt up and drove my blade into a gap between the bones just off of his ribs and near the humorous of his right wing. In response, the bird screeched in agony and threw me from his back. I tumbled clumsily as if I were still human, but an inside force took over and pulled me back into balance in time to call out, "Aldamon! Attack him!"

The Fusion Warrior of Flame complied and in his hands began forming an orb of fire. The ball flickered with weakness, revealing just how much injury the creator of it had sustained for this one cause.

From the corner of my vision, I saw Koji standing off to watch the battle, his face still twisted with confusion and distraught. His fingers, looking thinner and bonier than they had when I had seen him earlier, grasped his bandana as if for dear life itself, and his eyes were clouded with so many things that even in my Polymerization form I couldn't identify. His lips moved slowly as if he was whispering something to someone like a secret prayer.

By this time, Aldamon managed to create a large orb, holding it up above his head and screaming, "Solar Wind Destroyer!" He threw the fireball at Velgemon and encased the Beast with an inferno of wild flames. Without a second's hesitation, he yelled out to Koji, "It's your turn, Koji! Do it for your brother!"

The dark-haired boy snapped into attention at this and suddenly that lost expression he once held disappeared, replaced by one holding a harnessed realization. He pulled out his D-Tector and evolved to his own Fusion form, BeoWolfmon. Holding up his golden sword, it became consumed with a pale blue fire that took the shape of a wolf with crimson-hued eyes. "Frozen Hunter!" His eyes glowed solid blue and the wolf lunged forward, opening its mouth and leading the way for BeoWolfmon, who held his sword before him and slashed across Velgemon's chest.

The screech that came from the Beast of Darkness rang out with an ear-splitting pitch. But then it became more and more humanly-toned, and it seemed as though the Digimon was splitting apart, static overcoming his body and Duskmon's form appeared from his chest. From Duskmon, the enmity of a boy appeared, his head thrown back and tears running down his cheeks. His screams were terrifying as his being was being ripped away from the two corrupted and the Spirits of Darkness appeared within a ring of Fractal Code.

BeoWolfmon drew out his D-Tector and pressed the side button. "Unwilling slave of Darkness, be purified by the Light…" A red light appeared from the scanner as he slid it across the Data and consumed the two figurine-like Spirits in a stream of light. He watched the screen of his Digivice glow and De-Spirit Evolved, falling to the ground while clutching his chest.

I immediately pulled myself from my Polymerization form and went to him. "Koji, what's wrong?" My fingers touched his shoulder as he was caught in a case of winces and gasps of breath. I tried to turn his head to look at me, but his eyes were forced shut and his jaw was locked in his effort to keep from revealing any more signs of pain.

He instantly looked up by some unknown motivation just as his brother's body hit the ground. His gaze was locked upon that direction, this new expression coming over his face that overwhelmed all forms of determination. Trying to force himself up to his feet, he wavered and almost fell back down, but I held fast to him and managed to keep him up. It was clear he wanted to walk by himself, brushing my hands off of him and staggering with one hand grasping his opposite arm.

Takuya De-Spirit Evolved and when his human form appeared, his expression was completely solemn. We merely watched Koji walk towards his brother, who had fallen in a slight depression that time and previous battles created some several feet lower than the ground on which we stood, and then exchanged glances before following the Warrior of Light. We caught up to him when he stopped at where the depression began, for him only to go down the instant we arrived at his side. I saw the look he had. He didn't want help from us; he wanted to be the one there for his brother.

Taking in the boy's form, Takuya's eyes widened and his face filled with surprise. His voice came out quietly, enveloped with disbelief, "He…he's the one." And even quieter, as if he wasn't even aware that his words had come out aloud, "How did this happen?"

That face. I knew that face. I knew that voice that escaped as he began to gain consciousness. I had seen him before, somehow. _"Koji…You're Koji, right? Koji, I wanted to meet you…"_ It was that boy from my Memory Aura vision that I had seen when I first received my Beast Spirit. I recalled that I had questioned it to Koji after having the vision with no avail, but now my memory confirmed that this was that teen I had seen calling out to the Warrior of Light. _Koichi…_

Was it just luck that he had the same name as my oldest brother? Or was this Fate's idea of a joke?

My gaze remained on him as he pulled himself up onto his hands and knees and whispered something to himself. His eyes were wide and full of confusion, the blue that matched Koji's filled with an innocence. He was very much alike his brother in eye and hair color, but sitting before us, he appeared ever-so different. His face was rounder and more pale, his hair was cut to come down midway between his ears and shoulders, his bangs swept across his face in a delicate side part, and his nose was smaller. He was clad in a maroon-hued shirt with a green, short-sleeved button-up over it and white jean pants.

We went down into the depression and stood beside Koji, who seemed to not even realize our presence. His eyes were locked into place, staring as the boy before us as if he was suddenly unfamiliar. "Um… is he…?" The Light Inheritor stopped as soon as Takuya opened his mouth.

"Aw man. He's Duskmon?" The brunette looked to Koji when the boy's head turned to look at him in surprise. "I remember him. The guy that came after you on the train to Shibuya. How could I forget that face? He looks just like you." His voice suddenly changed as he thought back. "I was there… Well, I wasn't exactly myself, but I _was_ there."

Instantly it hit me in a flash. It all came to me like a movie in fast forward, and in a moment, I was suddenly watching myself. _Running towards the elevator, but seeing it closing, I ran down the stairs. Steps flying under my feet faster than I had control of them, I suddenly bashed into a man, causing him to spill whatever drink he had all over the steps. "Sorry…" I mumbled, and ran on to catch my train._

_But then there he was, the same place I was moments before. He ran for the elevator and just missed it. He banged his fists on the door and ground his teeth, but then looked up, seeing the numbers of the elevator lighting up and showing the passengers were descending. He looked to his left, seeing the staircase, and took off. _

_Around a corner, down, down, down. _

_That's when he slipped. _

_Catching it in the edge of his eye, it looked like spilled coffee splattered about the tile. That was his last sight before he hit the floor. "K-Koji…"_

A numbing feeling came over me. It was my fault that he had been sent here, that Cherubimon took control of him, that he was taken over by the Spirits of Darkness. _Why do I always cause so much suffering for everyone that doesn't deserve it?_ I frowned and turned my head downward to stare hard at my shoes, as if I could possibly place blame upon them instead. It seemed like everything always went wrong because of my own shortcomings.

"All right, spill it!"

Koji's sharp tone jerked my head back up, and seemingly did the same for Koichi, whose eyes grew immediately wider and fearful of the teen looming over him. His mouth opened as if he wished to speak, but merely stared while visibly trembling.

"Is it true? I have to know." He drew closer and continued, "And I have to hear it from you. Are you my brother?" His face was solemn and his figure unshaken, looking as though he was ready to fight his brother a second time if he dared lie. "And if you are, is our mother still alive? Tell me right now!"

Koichi stood up and his hands flew up to his head. His eyes disappeared and a pained expression formed on his face. His fingers pressed into his skull, giving me the impression that he had a headache. As Koji demanded to know what was wrong with him and to say something, he looked to his brother with a face full of withheld pain. He slid his hands back down to his sides and looked back to the ground while answering in a quiet voice, "It's all true. My grandmother told me about you on her deathbed. All she told me was your name; it was all she could tell me…" His irises filled with grief. "But I wanted to know more—I _needed_ to know more." He locked eyes with Koji, his face suddenly showing a determination that came out of nowhere. "I wanted to know who you were and why we were separated. But I had to find out on my own…"

He paused to think a moment before trying to justify himself, "I wanted to say something, but I never could. I didn't tell anyone—I was afraid to. I couldn't talk to my mom about it; she had enough problems to deal with. Her job was tough—her boss wouldn't let her off no matter how sick she was and her wages were low. But she never complained. I knew it was still hard for her, though, so I never told her how I was looking for you. I wanted to tell her so badly that one day I had actually seen you out walking your dog, but I just couldn't trouble her…" His voice changed notes. "Anyway, it was later that same day that I had seen you that I again spotted you on the train…"

Takuya quickly approached the boy, leaving me to stand by myself and watch in knowing how this part all played out. "I was right! You were the one I saw trying to get in!" He paused. "But wait, if you didn't get on that train, so how did you end up in the Digital World without a Trailmon?"

I awaited the older twin's response, unexpectedly eager to hear what he was going to say, and he took moments to gather his words that I felt like I couldn't wait for. But it came without warning, even more quiet than the rest of his responses had been, "…Actually I can't remember… I remember running down the stairs, determined to get to you, but...it's all a big blur to me…" He looked at Koji apologetically, causing me to wonder what he was trying to portray remorse for, not remembering or not reaching him in time. "Next thing I know…I'm here. I thought I had died, that this world was the afterlife, and that I was just some spirit floating around in it. I didn't know where to go or what to do. It was such a strange world. I felt angry and betrayed. And then I met _him…_"

My feet moved forward without my knowledge when his words became darker and more emotion-filled. When he had finished, I was standing mere feet from him and looking him straight in the eyes. He looked surprised, as if he didn't realize I had been standing nearby and listening to his story. "When you slipped and were knocked unconscious, Cherubimon must've used that chance to pull you from the real world to this one. I took the stairs too, and at the rate you were going, you could've caught up to me, but I never saw you the entire time, so there's no way you could've gotten to a train on time."

The sound of a train whistle interrupted us and on cue, a Trailmon stopped just a ways off. It was one of those blue trains with the anglerfish design, and hooked to it were several passenger cars. In one of the windows of a car, I saw two figures, and a third was getting out of the train. Even from the distance, I could tell it was Zoe, and she was waving to us and calling out, "Hey, guys! We made it!"

We boarded and met with the rest of the Warriors. Instantly I saw the mood of the humans as everyone sat down. Takuya sat with Zoe, Tommy, and JP; the Digimon sat just opposite of them, doing their own thing; Koji sat alone on the other side of the car, looking deep in thought as he stared out the window at darkness; and Koichi was sitting along in an entirely different car. I stood, unsure of what my next move should be. For a while, I merely listened to the Warriors close to me talk. They spoke of the Rose Morning Star, of which was now in view as a large design of a hue of purple within the sky, and then suddenly switched to speaking of the twins.

That was probably the topic that they were intending to reach as soon as they had seen Koichi board the Trailmon. I knew he had seen the looks they had given and heard the whispers, but they didn't change the expression that was already on his face. He imitated that lost look Koji had possessed when refusing to fight him, and ultimately, he seemed to be in a whole different world, his body going through blank, meaningless motion, but his mind somewhere else entirely.

I pitied him for that innocence he possessed about his aura. He didn't choose to be here—in fact, the way he sounded it, he must not have even received that message that Ophanimon had sent out. He was just a boy trapped within the currents of life, being tossed around and driven under by the pull of the water. He didn't deserve what trials he was handed; all he had wanted was to find his brother and reunite his family, but it seemed that that was just too much to ask for.

Not much later the Trailmon, apparently named Angler, made a pit stop at a small station, demanding sustenance. The majority of the Warriors got off, Takuya using this chance to talk to Koji, and I found myself just watching Koichi from a distance, waiting to see if he was going to get off. He didn't budge, but I saw his reasoning. _Why would he get off with people that were openly ignoring him? He had been sitting alone the entire trip, so why would he start mixing in now?_

Again my feet decided to move on their own, and before I could realize it, I was standing over him. He looked up at me at my arrival, and I tried to think of something to say that he'd actually take good meaning to. "Hey, Koichi," was all that came out. I struggled to find more words; I figured that if I was light-hearted with him and he began to trust me, he'd maybe put trust in the other Warriors as well and start opening up to his brother. "Uh…you really don't know me. I'm Mirai Kimishima. I'm the one that spilled the coffee that you slipped on." _Wow, that came out fast._

He looked at me with surprise and his mouth became slightly agape. Apparently he was surprised how fast it came out, too. But then his face came to an odd smile that surprised me more than my words had. "I guess I should thank you, then."

I was about to apologize, but then did a double-take when I realized that he was _thanking me_. Why the hell was he _thanking me_? "…Wait, what?"

His gaze fell to the floor as if this embarrassed him to talk about. His fingers absentmindedly played with a button on his shirt. "I wouldn't have gotten to the train on time even if I hadn't fallen. Because I came here, I got to finally meet Koji. All the pain and anger I felt is gone because I came here. I think this was all supposed to happen, all for set, predetermined reasons. I would go through all of this again if it rejoining with my twin brother."

A small, involuntary smile broke out on my face as I stated the obvious, "You care about him so much, even though you hardly know each other. That's really a special thing. I was only close to one of my brothers. You remind me a lot of him—you have that same smile. His name was Koichi, too." I tried to beam at the statement, but failed miserably. "I guess you're right that everything has happened for set reasons."

When I glanced at him, he didn't appear as though he had heard me at all. All too quickly a distressed expression became molded onto his face and he mumbled, "Why are you being so kind to me?" Before I could respond, he asked more questions, "Why don't you hate me? Why doesn't everyone else hate me? I tried to kill you all in cold blood, without hesitation, and you still bother to look at me with empathy. Why? Even I hate myself right now…"

I sat down next to him, my hands resting on my legs, and I merely stared down at them. I didn't realize my voice was going to come out so quiet until it had done so. "It's a funny concept, I know. There's something about the Warriors that I can't understand. I've done a ton of _kuso_ that I regret—I've put them through hell and back an uncountable number of times. I've tried to end their lives, made them take falls for me, but something inside them still gives forgiveness. It's remarkable that I'm still alive; not only have they endlessly forgiven me for my wrongdoings, but they have helped me against Cherubimon and fought for me. I don't know why any of them still care, but maybe that's what this world does to people. It makes them realize that no life deserves a cruel end, no matter what the past has to disprove it.

"Being here changes your perspective on life and the people around you. Knowing there's only the select few humans with you, who you had no relationship with prior to being forced together in efforts to save a world that isn't even your own, it brings a sense of kinship to you for the others. And no matter how much you tell yourself that you don't care about them, deep down you know that's a lie, but the truth is really that when the time comes, you're going to fight for them, no matter what differences exist between you." I interlaced my fingers and let my eyes rest on the wall before me. "That's what I've learned here."

A silence closely followed my words. I didn't look at the dark-haired teen sitting next to me, and it didn't feel as though he was looking at me, either. He was clearly absorbing what I had said, thinking it over and trying to decide whether or not he believed it. I let him spin for as long as he pleased, and it caused the noiselessness to thicken into a deep tension. It began to make me question myself, if my words were even true and worth putting faith in. I knew my perception on aspects was sometimes twisted, churned around and around until they didn't make any sense anymore. Was this one of those warped opinions?

"I really don't know what happened to make me like this…" When he started speaking, I almost jumped in surprise, and I probably would have, had he decided to speak louder than he currently was. "I've always tried to be a good person, a good friend, a good son. Back in the human world, I lied about my age so I could get a part-time job. Every time I got paid I'd cash the check and slip the money in her purse, just to give her a little extra. I always hoped she'd use those few extra yen to buy something for herself, something to make her happy." His eyes clouded as he recollected, the crystalline blue changing to a darker navy hue. "I don't know when I began getting so angry, when I'd go to bed jealous that Dad picked Koji over me. A part of me hated all of them—Dad for leaving me, Koji for receiving the better ends of life, that other woman for causing it all…" He put his face into his hands, his tone consumed with frustration. "What is wrong with me?"

_Is this question rhetorical?_ I fidgeted uncomfortably, not understanding how I should be reacting to what he just openly questioned. Divorce wasn't a concept that I was very familiar with. I had never cared enough to find out if any of my classmates had parents that were separated and now was a time that I wished that I did. I didn't know the circumstances of the divorce Koichi was dealing with and I wasn't sure that he knew, either, but I just didn't want to bring that up if he did know.

The toe of my shoe slid across the floor as if digging in the dirt and I merely sat there watching it. _I'm just not good at comforting others…Where's Takuya when I need him? He's so much better at this…_

"I'm just sayin', guys, chicken nuggets taste better with hot sauce!" _Speak of the devil and he comes…talking about chicken nuggets…_ "C'mon, what are those looks for? You'll never know, unless you try it! Like I always say, nothing ventured, nothing gained!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head. "Takuya…" I murmured, feeling a migraine coming on.

* * *

We rode on for the most part in silence. Some of the Warriors called me over to speak to them, and I looked back at Koichi like I needed permission to leave him behind, but he didn't say anything (that is, if he even noticed me looking at him), so I went to the other car where the others were. Standing out of place, I glanced about until Zoe waved me over, a big grin on her face that only meant bad news for me. A part of me wanted to just turn tail and run away.

The blonde, Italian girl pulled me by the arm down onto the seat next to her. She was like a giggly schoolgirl with a juicy secret. Her bright green eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation as her gaze went back and forth between Koji, who was again sitting off by himself staring out the window, and I. _Could've seen this coming…_ "So how did Koji react when you went after him? Was he just _enchanted_ by your act of love?" With her tone, I couldn't tell if she was taunting me or completely serious. Honestly, I didn't really wanna know, either.

My eyes automatically narrowed at her fangirlisms. "As a matter of fact, the first one to get to Koji was Takuya," I stated flatly, feeling a pinkness overcoming my ears, causing me to hope that my face wasn't about to follow suit.

At his name, Takuya darted over and butted into our little talk. "Oooh, girl talk! Whatya talkin' 'boouut?" His grin was about the size of a banana and he didn't hesitate to sling his arms around our shoulders, looking to and fro between us. He was getting way too chummy for comfort, and his vocal tone changed to his "womanizer voice", "If you ladies were wondering, I'm a Leo, meaning I'm most compatible with Aries and Sagittarius, closely followed with Libra and Gemini."

I rolled my eyes at him. Just because my December birthday made me Sagittarius, didn't mean I wanted to get with him. I wasn't really a typical Sagittarius, so that must've played a part within this. It explained why we got along so well, despite how different we were, but nothing more than that. "We really don't care, Takuya," I retorted, shaking my head and groaning. But glancing briefly, I noticed a rosy color taking over Zoe's cheeks as she just stared down at her lap, futzing with her skirt with her fingers to appear distracted. _Is she a star sign that he mentioned?_

With any given warning, the whole train lurched violently to one side and an ear-piercing screech of metal bending and breaking deafened me. Everyone was thrust off their seats and to the floor with a force more powerful than a punch to the face by a loved one. But the Trailmon had gone airborne and been derailed; the cars were tipped over onto their sides and the glass of the windows shattered at the contact into countless, shimmering shards.

"Hey, is everyone—" Takuya stopped mid-question, his eyes growing wide and suddenly exclaiming, "Zoe!" In less than an instant, he was to the Italian, who had somehow hit her head and was now bleeding profusely. Her once-cute cat-eared hat was now splotched with a deep, sickening crimson; the brunette pulled it off of her head and held it to the gash. His eyes revealed a building rage as he looked at the other Warriors, "What did we hit?" It sounded much more like a statement than a question.

I was too transfixed on everyone's faces to take in meaning to his inquiry. Zoe attempting to remain solemn and strong despite the visible urge to cry. Takuya growing angrier and angrier with each passing moment as he wiped a single droplet of blood making its way down the girl's face with his fingertip. Tommy and JP still appearing shaken and nervous of what just occurred, waiting on their toes for something else to happen. Bokomon and Neemon trying to calm a rattled Patamon. Koji on his guard and in the ready while glancing at his brother before beginning to climb out a window to find answers. Koichi looking pale as though somehow this was all his fault.

And by how on the edge of my emotions I was, I couldn't begin to imagine what my own face must've looked like.

Koji's voice came out of nowhere, pulling me out of my abstraction, "Cherubimon!" His voice was a gruff scoff, like he was using the fallen Celestial's name in vain. He pulled himself out of the window and stood upon the train car.

Following suit, I grabbed onto the metal and hoisted myself through the window. I managed to slice my arm on a shard of glass and cringed at the sting, but tried my best to ignore it. It wasn't very hard to ignore, anyway, as my eyes instantly shot upward to the towering figure that stood before us shrouded in an abnormal darkness. Its body was all in dark hues of purple. Lanky arms came down from its shoulders and down to the ground by its feet. A jester's collar was around its neck and large ears protruded from its small, round head. It had a stained, tainted yellow color in its eyes that stared down at us like we were nothing more than ants to be stepped on.

"That's Cherubimon?" I breathed, feeling my voice being a lot softer than in my head. "How the hell…?" I needed to look away from it; I could feel its evil just from putting my gaze on it. It was a jabbing feeling that stirred inside me. _Is the other me inside reacting to her creator?_ "I don't like this, Koji." I looked to the boy beside me with my brows furrowed and my fingers noticeably trembling. I had a feeling that craved comfort, a feeling that told me if I didn't, I'd be consumed with this aura the creature was emitting.

His eyes were motionless, unblinking. He remained entranced with the sight of Cherubimon, but his hand reached out towards me and our fingertips touched. "I don't either, Mirai." His mouth remained open slightly in the pause of his words. "There has to be a reason why he's here…"

The corrupted Digimon's lips curved upward into a twisted smile. He swung his leg and struck Angler, sending the Trailmon off out of sight. He clenched his teeth and chuckled darkly. "Would you like to be next, _Legendary Warriors_?" The title he gave us had acid in his tone; he was openly mocking us. Here we were, Zoe sustaining a gash from merely hitting her head, me getting a cut from light contact with glass. We weren't much for Warriors right now.

The others joined us on top of the car. Takuya and JP worked to hoist Zoe up through the window; she looked dizzy and light-headed as Takuya grabbed her hand that wasn't pressing her ruined hat to her injury and pulled her up. When she was standing on her own feet, she wavered with shaking legs and her face was flushed off all of its color. When she noticed me watching her, she tried to put on a smile for me, but in her emerald orbs, I could see just how much that smiling was the last thing she wanted to do right then.

"I'll hit him once for you."

My sudden words surprised me as much as her. The words hadn't even appeared in my mind before they had come from my mouth. The implication that she shouldn't fight hadn't even occurred to me until I found my vocal meaning, and the fact that I told her I was going to fight on her behalf wouldn't have been something I even considered if it was around the time when we first arrived in the Digital World. This clicked in such a way that it almost scared me to realize I was the same person physically as I was then.

After the words had sunken in, she half-smiled at their meaning. Even though she didn't like inflicting harm to others, I was certain she wanted to get a piece of Cherubimon as much as anyone else. "Thanks." It caught my eye when she fidgeted a little in her faintness and readjusted her hat to help clot the opening in her skin with her hand.

Her other hand was still holding Takuya's.

Takuya pulled out his D-Tector, flipping it in the air to land into open hand. "Okay, guys, looks like we're gonna fight this guy sooner than we thought. Just because he was nice enough to come all the way down from the Rose Morning Star to see us, doesn't mean we go easy on him." He showed off a toothy smirk as the rest of us groaned at his statement. _Honestly, at times like this, I really can't tell if he's just joking or being completely serious…_

Nonetheless, all of us apt to battle Spirit Evolved, Koji and Takuya to their Fusion forms, Tommy to his Beast, JP to his Human, and I to my Polymerization. We took position with the fallen Celestial before us, and with our size, he could've just stomped down on us with one foot and killed us all. We needed some sort of strategy, that was obvious, but at this point, it didn't seem like anyone was about to jump up and give the others a suggestion. How exactly were we supposed to take this thing down?

Without a command, Korikakumon threw his Avalanche Axes up into the air, a rush of snow and cold wind gusting up with them, and Beetlemon grabbed them despite an order from Aldamon to wait a moment. Electricity consumed his fists and the axes when he threw them, spiraling within the blizzard-like cyclone.

"What the hell are you doing?" I screamed in spontaneous aggravation, seeing that clearly they weren't thinking things through. _One little combo attack isn't going to knock him down, that's painfully obvious, so why the hell are they even wasting their energy trying? _"Stop being so stupid! That attack isn't gonna do anything to him; he kicked Angler away without even hurting his toe!" _…Yup, well, I could've thought of something better there…_

The wind gusted all around Cherubimon's figure like a slight breeze, and the axes merely hit him in the chest and fell to the ground by his feet. In response, the Digimon laughed and sneered, "I expected more from the great Legendary Warriors. Ophanimon had such faith in you and for a second I thought I may have a reason to come _armed_ to battle you."

Aldamon came forward with his eyes burning. "Arm yourself against this!" The Fusion Warrior formed a large fall of fire within his hands and it grew larger and larger as he lifted it over his head, gaining to be almost half of the height of Cherubimon. "Solar Wind Destroyer!"

The attack consumed the creature, striking him directly in the chest, and a thick, dark cloud of smoke covered him from our sight. A large crater had formed under where he stood, and when the smoke cleared, it was revealed that he was still standing. Not just standing, laughing. Laughing this evil, blood-curling cackle. This was his cue to bring out more insulting retorts to come from his mouth. "That was cute. Anyone else want to give it a shot?"

I looked to the Warrior of Light. "Koji."

"Alright." I thought for sure I saw half of a smile at my suggestion, but I must've been mistaken, for his face had been all solemn. He held out his saber, the blade pointed straight up above his head. "Frozen Hunter!" The blue mist melted from the gold of the blade and formed that bright-eyed wolf.

My arms out to my sides and my fingers of each hand curved up as if holding an invisible ball in each, round flares of raw energy began to form above them, the one on my right a deep purple, on my left a blazing blue. I smashed my hands together and the two orbs combining into one. "Manifold Cataclysm!" The two colors swirling and sparking like electricity, I brought my hands up above my head, the orb following the motions of my fingertips obediently, and I slammed my palms down onto the ground.

The sphere followed and collided with the ground, erupting into bolts of multi-colored force. They wrapped around the stream of mist that trailed the light-based wolf, eventually catching up to it, and spiraled around its body. The canine leapt up and morphed into a beam of pure Light, moving faster than the eye could possibly see and slicing through Cherubimon's body.

"That must've done _something_," I muttered, watching the Digimon. But when all our attack triggered was more laughter from it, I felt like a total hypocrite for yelling at the guys for trying to attack when my attack didn't do anything, either. I turned to the others, looking about at the Warriors for ideas, even towards Zoe and Koichi who were seeking defence on the ground near the abandoned passenger cars. "Anyone else feel like we need a new plan?" While my mind added, _Even though there's really not much more we _can_ do…_

Cherubimon threw his hands up to the sky, and the clouds seemed to respond with their motions. "I gave you your chance to prove yourselves, and now it's my turn." A dark, abnormally-hued cloud descended with lightning flashing about it and overtook the other clouds like a disease. "Storm of Judgment!" Blue beams of lightning struck touched down on the ground, a countless number of them, an endless impaling of unrefined power harnessed through corrupted nature.

My first instinct is to use Fortified Continuum, and I do so, a translucent blue force field surrounding my body. But after just a few strikes of lightning contacting the surface, it shatters into light. Suddenly, I'm driven into excruciating pain; my vision faded in and out, and all I could do was listen to myself scream. It felt as though someone was ripping my skin off inch by inch, getting the skin started with a small scalpel and then yanking the rest off with their fingers. Burning filled every part of me; my nerves were crying for some other message to send to my mind besides, _Just kill me, end it all! Do me this favor! Now! Now! Now!_

Holding my Digimon form was impossible, and as soon as I let go of it, I found a relief in my pain, falling to the ground. My body still pleaded for its end, but I wouldn't give it the satisfaction. My eyes burned when I opened them as if I had been drowning within salt water, but I forced myself to take in the others' conditions. Everyone seemed in the same way as me, but I noticed how close Koji was lying to Koichi, and the very same for Takuya with Zoe. _Did Koji and Takuya protect them because as humans, if they had gotten hit, they would've—? _I pulled the thought out, trying not to go over that subject.

Koichi was the first to pull himself up, looking in horror at all of the fallen Warriors. Cherubimon stared down at him with his eyes gleaming, obviously more than pleased to see the boy again. "Look at them, Koichi. Look at how little of a challenge this battle was. I'm ashamed that my own creation lost to the likes of _them_. I expected more from you at least, but I see that humans are not the creatures to put your faith into, no matter how dark their soul."

The ebony-haired teen grounded his teeth in aggravation and ran towards Cherubimon until that he had to tilt his head straight up to see his face, despite the cries of Koji to not. "I'm glad I lost to them! I lost when I listened to you; you made me fight my own brother! I never wanted that, I never wanted to be a pawn in your sick game! You lied to me—you _used_ me, and for what? So you could watch me attack my own brother for your own amusement!"

Cherubimon's mouth grew flat. "You're wrong. It was all your doing that you became part of this game. The Spirits of Darkness chose you for your own, foul emotions. One must be in possession of a heart of pure evil for them to accept him, and many lives had been thrown away before finding you. The Spirits rejected the others because of the good left inside them, but in the end, there was you…" A small smile began to form once again as the next words came out, "Darkness is your destiny, Koichi Kimura. Open up your hands and accept it once more…" His eyes became slits, yellow like a snake's eyes. "I can offer you so much power, power you haven't even begun to taste. Just let go of these worthless humans and follow me."

Koji pulled himself onto his stomach and brought his upper body up from the ground. His face was full of desperation. "You can't listen to him, Koichi! It's all lies!"

Koichi's head dropped and his brows furrowed. I recognized that expression; it was the same one he held when speaking to me on the train about his life at home—when he questioned those five words, _"What is wrong with me?" _His eyes were a dark, cold blue when he spoke, "No…my heart was full of negative emotion, of anger an jealousy; it pleaded for the Darkness to help ease my pain…It helped more than I ever imagined it would—it was the comfort that I needed…"

The Warrior of Light's face contorted, his whole body beginning to shake. "Koichi…"

As Cherubimon brought his hands toward him and chuckled, Koichi changed his tone and looked up at the Digimon with defiance, "But I don't need comfort from you anymore, I don't need revenge; nothing you can provide me with can replace what I have now. I'd never join you again because it would mean turning against my twin brother." He looked back at his double briefly and then turned again. "I don't care what you offer me; I'd rather give up my life than betray him."

He continued to reach for the boy. "Strong words won't get you far. I'll give you that death you're wishing for."

_What is he doing just standing there? Defiance isn't going to win Cherubimon over! _I clambered to my feet, but staggered back down to my knees, the force of the Storm of Judgment still heeding me. "Move, Koichi!" I yelled, almost too unnerved to keep my eyes on what was before me.

He ignored my command, his gaze still upon Cherubimon's face, his irises just calling out over and over, _I dare you, do it. I dare you…_

"_KOICHI_!"

At the sound of Koji's voice, his D-Tector activated and emitted a blinding light. From the screen, a ray shined brilliantly around Koichi's figure. Before him, a D-Tector colored black and gray formed and floating through the light towards it were the two corrupted Spirits of Darkness. Their shape morphed and broke off like a shell, revealing two pure Spirits in their places. They entered inside the Digivice, which in turn presented itself to the oldest twin.

"Koichi's emotions must've still had a link to his Spirits. When his negative feelings disappeared, it purified them and turned them back into their true form," I muttered, forcing myself up and grasping my knees in my hands in a hunched over position to keep myself steady. I tried to make my way to Koji, wishing that I could be of some comfort for him; his body was still trembling. "Hope he channels the right emotions to tap into their power. Otherwise this could go horribly wrong…"

"Execute!" The ring of Fractal Code appeared around his hand, shining brilliantly with flaring sparks, and he swiped the scanner along it. "Spirit Evolution!" The Data swirled down from above him and concealed him within. Light pulsated, growing faster and faster like a heartbeat, and the orb of Data shattered. "Lӧwemon!" The figure that replaced him was a tall, dark-clad Warrior, accented by a dim gold. The head of a lion was bore on his chest, shoulder, and made a mask over his face, concealing all but his bright red eyes.

The fallen Celestial seemed taken aback at his appearance. "Those are the true Spirits of Darkness. I sealed them under their counterparts; how did you break that seal?"

Instead of answering, Lӧwemon crossed his arms over his chest to make an X and his whole body shook. The lion on his chest increased size, and when he removed his arms, its mouth opened. "Shadow Meteor!" Darkness collected at its mouth, forming an orb, and from it, shot a bright yellow beam with the darkness spiraling around it. It struck Cherubimon in the chest and knocked him back. Immediately he prepared another. "Shadow Meteor!" It pushed the Digimon back farther and left him with beads of sweat and on his knees.

Koji came up to his feet, anticipation taking over his face. "Keep it goin', Lӧwemon!" _I've never seen him like this. This…enthralled by battle._

The Warrior of Darkness leapt up with inhuman strength for a finishing move, but Cherubimon called forth a Lightning Spear. A single bolt of lightning came down from the heavens into his hand and he pointed it at Lowemon, but anticipating an attack, the Warrior glowed with a crimson light and was wrapped again in Data. "Lӧwemon Slide Evolution! JӓgerLӧwemon!" The Beast form appeared, a lion much like his Human form, but on four legs.

He bit onto the thunderbolt, shattering the tip and running down its length towards Cherubimon. A piston on his back recoiled and a burst of dark energy formed at his mouth. "Ebony Blast!" It struck the Celestial just below his head and sent him reeling back. Blast after blast, each one sending him farther and farther back, until JӓgerLӧwemon dropped down to the ground and red jewels on the Beast's body began to emit light. He leapt back up and his body was consumed with darkness in the shape of a lion. "Dark Master!"

He pierced through Cherubimon and landed on his opposite side. The corrupted Digimon's form began to fall apart as the Data was shattering and his body disintegrated into nothingness.

The same moment that Koji exclaimed, "Yeah! He did it!" I happened to exclaim, "Yes! He got 'im!" we ended up doing the same motion of pumping our fists in synchrony. Which…kinda looked strange to anyone that happened to be watching.

Takuya happened to be one of those people. He approached us with a swag and a crude little smirk. "That was a cute little cheer," he retorted with a snicker.

WHACK!

Koichi approached us as Takuya nursed his new handprint on his face, having returned to his human form. He walked with an expression that seemed so much more uplifted than the one he possessed prior to this battle, one that held a bit more confidence. "That wasn't the real Cherubimon; it was like a counterfeit of some sort, a projection. Unfortunately I can still feel the real one and he is very much alive." He frowned at his own words.

"If this one was just a projection," Koji's face changed to match his twin's, "then I really don't wanna see the real one." His face filled with confusion when Koichi suddenly put on a glare and began to walk. He caught up to him and stopped him by putting his hand on his shoulder. "Wait, what are you doing? You're not planning on facing him alone, are you?"

The oldest brother's eyes focused on his and his face tightened. "I have to. Only the power of Darkness can defeat him; you'll only get in my way. I suggest you all just leave." His eyes flashed to the rest of us, the other members having gathered, and then instantly back over to Koji, who had a contradiction to his words.

"Sorry, _bro_, but I'm not gonna let you go on by yourself. True Darkness depends on the Light."

Takuya used this chance to interject as well, stepping forward to get their attention. "Sorry, guys, but this isn't going to be Brother Bonding Time, so I'm coming too. We made a promise to save Ophanimon and I intend to keep it." He revealed a toothy grin with his next statement. "But if you two wanna go kick Cherubimon's _oshiri_ by yourselves, I'll just stand by and watch the festivities. You know what they say, two's a company, three's a crowd."

Tommy was next, apparently. "I wanna come too! After going through what we went through together, we have to beat him together. But wait, Takuya, what are four and five, then?"

Instead of Takuya answering, it was JP who gave the answer. "Nine, kid. I thought you went to first grade." He got back on track after a look from the Warrior of Ice. "And of course, if Tommy's coming along, I have to come too, because I'm the oldest. It's my job to make sure all you kids stay out of trouble.

"And don't forget, I'm coming too. I have no intention of going home now after how far we've come. I can't let all you boys have all the fun and take all the glory for yourselves, you know." Zoe smirked, despite the bash on her head looking pretty freaky right then, seemingly she felt pretty confident and happy.

People were suddenly all looking at me; everyone else gave a reason why they should come, so _apparently_ it was my turn to say I'm coming along and give a good, unique reason why. There wasn't much point, because they should've known full well that I was gonna go wherever Koji was going (after all, I didn't chase him all this way just to say 'bye bye!' and split). So I gave them the first thing that came to my mind. "JP may be the oldest, but certainly not the brightest. That's why I'm coming along."

Suffice it to say, that was actually seemed to be insulting to more than one person. Hence the fact that just about everyone was yelling at me. I could only laugh as a flurry of insults was recoiled back at me and as I countered back at them, "Hey, c'mon! This isn't fair; it's six against one—Takuya, stop hitting me!"


	36. Chapter 34

**You all should be very proud of me! It took me less than two months to finish this chapter and it's actually kind of long too! I'm very pleased how it all turned out and I was able to incorporate everyone's ideas. What surprised me the most was how I managed to stick to my chapter outline that I drew up and still got the chapter lengthy.**

**Although, I probably would've gotten the chapter done a few days ago, had I not invited my best friend (known as Toshiku Yumari on here; most of you have heard of her) over to my place to have a Digimon marathon. We watched Data Squad, since it's the only dubbed season we've never seen (and I pretty much hated the concept of it prior, as Marcus lacks goggles), but I must say, its content really surprised me. It was a lot more serious than the previous seasons and really incorporated the characters' backstories, and overall, I truly enjoyed it. So don't hate on it till ya try it!  
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**Annnyway, a few announcements, my dear readers. With so many projects piling up that I really want to write and am in the process of writing (which total easily over ten fanfictions), I decided against making a sequel to this story. Updates would take forever and any sort of plot blockage I'd reach would severely deter me. Plus, at that time, I'd be in college at that time, so there'd be a lot to do right there...  
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**But that means I'm going to have to fit the conclusion with Lekismon in here. I'm thinking it'll be around Chapter... *digs around for outlines* oh, I guess the next chapter apparently, according to my outline (but we all know how bad I am at sticking with outlines...). We shall see how that little thing will go over...  
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**Okay, next up, I'll warn you beforehand that these next chapters are very hard to pull away from the episodes. They're all so plot-important that I'm gonna be going by episode for the most part, changing a few things here and there. So if that annoys you, I'm really sorry and I'll try my best to make it unique from the episodes.  
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**Continuing, for those of you that would like to see notes of my progress in my fanfictions, I have a blog that I post on occasionally with updates on how things are going. So if any of you want to follow it, there is a link on my profile to it.  
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**And finally, I hope you enjoy this chapter! For all of you that enjoy my pairing, yes, there is some Mirkou in here! ;)  
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**R&R please, my loves!  
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* * *

Chapter 34

"Hey, guys, how long have we been walking for?"

Tommy's seemingly-innocent question held a lot of meaning, knowing just why he asked it. I was forced to run information through my head like redoing a load of already-clean laundry. Place: Continent of Darkness. Most recent event: Koichi joined our team and we fought a fake Cherubimon. Current mission: Face the real Cherubimon and save Ophanimon. Current state of mind: Annoyed out of my mind. Reasoning: Because Takuya just won't shut up. Because Patamon won't stop singing. Because JP keeps saying how hungry he is. Because—

_Yeah, the list goes on and on…_ But the reason why the young Warrior of Ice just asked the question was because it wasn't exactly on a daily basis that we saw a verdant area in the middle of a wasteland surrounded by this translucent bubble that kept it separated from the world around it. No, I do believe that is quite abnormal.

We approached it cautiously. For all we knew, it could've been some sort of hologram that was really a trap set up by something that really didn't like us. But there was something about it that made me refuse to accept that theory, and believe that we were seeing really what we thought it was. _A place untainted by the barren land that surrounds it_… I suppressed a smile at the thought that crossed my mind. _Is this what the Continent of Darkness used to look like? Is it what it _will_ look like when we restore it?_

"O-kay! Time to go see if we can enter the area without blowing up!" Takuya grinned and stepped towards the force field-thing like it just might _not_ be dangerous. It was official: This really wasn't one of his smartest plans, leading me to think that _maybe_ he had fallen on his head one too many times. He ran to the area that was beginning to remind of me a snow globe—_Holy crap, I forgot about Snow Globe! I think that guy might've hated me a little bit…_—and put his hands to it. "Well, this is interesting…" He exhaled on it, fogging up the dome. "Hey, it's like a snow globe!" _My thought exactly…_

The rest of us walked up to it, but left the touching of it all to the Inheritor of Flame. "It's so weird; there are trees and stuff growing inside it, but it seems solid." Right about that moment, he happened to lean on it and suddenly he fell through it and fell on the other side. Recovering from the surprise, he sat down facing us and waved from the other side of the bubble with a look that had, "Haha, I'm in here and you're not!" written all over it.

The remainder of us just glanced at each other and shrugged. Tommy was the first to speak up, modestly stating, "Well, if Takuya went in and he didn't die, then I wanna go in too. It doesn't look like there's anything to worry about in there." And with that, he pushed through the barrier and went inside to join his surrogate older brother, who seemed pleased that someone ehem, "followed his lead", accidental, yes, but apparently still a lead.

All of them went in until just Koji and I remained standing in one place, repeatedly glancing back and forth between the pleasant-appearing area and each other. Flicking the surface with my finger of one hand, I suggested with my eyes still placed on him, "It doesn't feel like it has the touch of evil to it. And honestly, despite how many stupid situations Takuya has gotten us into, I really trust him. He wouldn't lead us anywhere that we could be threatened." Then I proceeded to put a little bit of a smirk on my face. "Plus, if he screws us all, he'll be trapped in a bubble with nowhere to go."

He didn't look like he was fully convinced the area was completely evil-free, despite the fact he smiled a little at my last remark. "It just doesn't seem right. It looks a little too conveniently-placed. We're in the middle of the Continent of Darkness; why would there be something like this here?"

To be blunt, I didn't wanna hear his logic right then. From out of the corner of my eye, I saw some of the Warriors playing the Ninja Slap Game **[A/N: Don't know what the Ninja Slap Game is? Look it up and enjoy.]** and I kinda wanted to get in on that. _So what if something attacks us? There's seven Warriors here, there's not much that could really do that much against all of us at once._ That decided, I sighed, grabbed him by the wrist, blandly said, "Okay, cut the crap, Koji. Since I really don't remember what fun is, we're gonna go have some!" and then dragged him into the encased area with me before he could even think of objecting. _What the hell? You know the Digital World has gotten to you if you don't remember what fun is…and are smiling creepily like a lunatic. Okay, take off the creepy smile! Off! Off! Off!_

After Takuya lost the game, he came over to us, looking less defeated than his competitive side was probably feeling. "Hey hey! Look at who came to join us!" He threw his arms around both of our shoulders, and I couldn't help but wonder if somehow in this short amount of time, he managed to get drunk. "Wanna play?"

Koji's answer was flat. "No."

"Aww, c'mon, buddy! It's not gonna kill ya…or at least I don't think so," Takuya retaliated, giving a playful punch to Koji's shoulder, causing the bandana-wearing teenager to just give him a look that said he clearly thought he had lost all his marbles.

"No."

Patamon took this as an excellent chance to come over and help persuade my stubborn boy to play games with the rest of us. Apparently Takuya's efforts to make Koji stop being so uptight caught the attention of the others (and in the process I heard Tommy say, "Party pooper!"), but the main one to try to take control of the situation was the little pre-Celestial, who flew to the boy and with big, round eyes, pleaded, "C'mon, Ko-kun! Pwease?"

Takuya peeped up, trying to whip out something logical. "It _would_ give us a chance to rest before the big fight and—"

Koji's expression that hit him shut him up in an instant.

Patamon didn't seem ready to give up yet, as his eyes grew somehow larger (making me wonder why they hadn't popped out of their sockets yet) and he continued, "Ko-_kuuuun_! I really wanted to play! Playing is good for you! It makes you happy! Don't you wanna be happy?" _Ooh, he's playing that card, is he? He's a smart little dude._ He didn't wait very long for a response, since it seemed like he wasn't going to receive one. So apparently now it was time for a carefully-crafted Plan B.

He floated in mid-air, his pleading expression changing to a little smile. A smile that clearly was scheming something.

_Ha, this is gonna be good. I can feel it in the air. _The Warrior of Light caught whiff of his impending deviousness and was quick to suspiciously question with his eyebrows pointed diagonally that suggested he was trying to pick apart the Digimon's brain, "What's that look for?"

The smile grew. "Imma hug _youuu_!"

"You _wha_—?"

Instantly he got a Patamon attached to his face.

And it was about now the time where JP said pretty much what the rest of us were thinking at that precise moment, "That awkward moment when there's digital creature stuck to your face and everyone just stands there staring."

"I wanna stay! We can do all sorts of things that are super fun! Fun is good and good is fun!" Patamon laughed at his little paradox. "Kooo-kun! You _have_ to let us stay, otherwise we'll be all pooped for our battle and we can't be pooped when going against Cherubimon, then bad things will happen! Please, Ko-kun! Please, please, _pleeease_!"

I distinctly heard Koji groan, learning quickly that it was just no use with the little Digimon pleaded and stuck to his face as he was. His tone sounded defeated, and in one aspect, he had been. "Fine."

This was about the time when we started to celebrate, me mostly in my head, the others verbally and vocally with little cheers of success. But it still didn't help me not get the crap scared outta me when Zoe approached me and jabbed me in the ribs, trying to drop "a subtle hint for my romantic exploits". Her eyes were shining like emeralds when she spoke in a singsong voice, "Oh, so his weakness is cute things! That's interesting, don'tchya think, Mirai?"

My eyes automatically narrowed at her remark. "Uh, no. But nice try, though." And I added mentally, _I don't do cute… _Then I changed the subject, speaking to the group as a whole so I didn't have to deal with the Warrior of Wind's fangirlisms right then, "So…uh, what are we gonna do first?"

Patamon jumped at the chance to make a suggestion on what he perceived was going to be a very fun-filled day. "Ooh-ooh, we have to play Hide and Go Seek! Every day needs to have some awesomeness of Hide and Go Seek!" _And thus begins a very painful process…_ "Nose goes!"

We all pressed our fingers to the tips of our noses. Well, everyone but Koji, who didn't know what the hell we were doing, and since he was the last to press his finger to his nose (or in his case, he didn't do it at all), he was "it" and was the one that had to find everyone else. With a groan and undecipherable grumbling, he walked over to a tree and began to count, originally mumbling, but Patamon made sure he did it loudly (by happening to note, "We can't hear yoouu!"). And I really had to admit that he looked kinda stupid counting by the tree, as he was the most mature and adult-like one here.

But nonetheless, once he started counting down, we all scrambled to hide. I, along with a bunch of the other Warriors, took to the forest for a good hiding place. Once in the cover of the green, I went down from my panicky run to a walk-jog-thing, my head darting about for a hideaway, maybe up in a tree or something. I began whistling a little tune that changed beats every measure, not sure what my next course of action would be exactly.

Out of nowhere, I became aware of someone grasping my wrist and pulling me off my feet and off the path before I knew what was going on. I was going to yelp out of reflex, but a hand was placed over my mouth when I was about to do so. My eyes darted around until they locked onto Takuya's face, and I automatically eased. Once he realized that I recognized his face, he removed his hand from my lips. "Okay, one, the only thing that can touch my lips is my food—"

"And Koji," he interjected smugly.

"Shut up," I grumbled shortly, tempted to hit him for the millionth time that day. "And two—" I stopped abruptly, instantly forgetting my second point when seeing just where he dragged me. All I knew was it was a chrome-colored, tower-like structure with no windows or doors, but still held light. It reminded me heavily of the inside of a silo. "Where the hell are we?"

His answer was so simple, but caused so many questions to come to mind. "Inside a tree."

"What the hell did you do to this tree?" My head flew all around, double-checking for some sort of way out. I didn't understand how we were breathing in hear without any air passages, much less how the tree was hollow and how we got in here in the first place. Actually, I was a little scared to hear those particular answers come from him.

He crossed his arms across his chest, giving a half-pout that begged me to feel sorry for him. To be blunt, I didn't. "You don't have to blame me for this. I there is no way that I could even _do_ this to a tree. I just happened to find this awesome hollowed-out tree, and as a matter of fact, it is the awesomest hiding spot _ever_." His facial expression became cocky and his tone was quick to follow suit. "C'mon, let's see you find a better one."

I turned my head away while retorting, "No thanks." Walking off to the side, I sat down on the ground with my legs crossed. "So, if this hiding place is as good as you say it is, we might be here a while." I padded the ground next to me with my hand. "Might as well keep ourselves busy."

The Warrior of Flame complied to my request and sat down next to me. He leaned up against me, but I shoved him away. This caused that same pouty look to take over his face, but reminding me so much more of a little kid. "Aww, you're a meanie," he whined with a faked childish tone. Again he tried to lean against me, only to get pushed away a second time. "You're weird. You're all nice and cuddly one minute, but the next you're all lonerish." But instead of letting me answer, he proceeded with just dropping the weight of his upper body down onto my lap, his head directly below mine. His brilliant brown eyes shimmered as he smiled sweetly up at me.

Finding myself suddenly blushing profusely at his remark, I averted my eyes off in a different direction. "Not my fault. It's 'cause you always do weird, random things." _Wow, that was a rather baseless accusation…_ My gaze snuck back down to him without my notice. With one hand moving in pretty much slow motion, I reached to him and began to flick his nose, each time just spurting, "Flick…flick…flick…" I could only grin at him when he began to glare at me and I answered the question I knew he was about to ask, "Nope, I don't mind. Do you?"

I almost laughed at the way his face contorted at my reflecting inquiry, "No crap, I do." His eyes dilated a little when he presented a sudden question, "Hey, how did we use to spend our time? It seems like we never had enough time when we were together, and now you're entertaining yourself by…flicking…my nose…" He realized then just how dumb he sounded by saying that. "Yeah, you gotta stop that. My nose is beginning to hurt and I don't want to have to explain to Mom when I get home why it's broken."

At this I let out a small chuckle, imagining Mrs. Kanbara scolding him for letting me flick his nose till it broke with Shinya sticking his tongue out at him in the background because his older brother was getting in trouble once again. This image made me miss all of the time I spent over at their house when I was younger, insisting on horseplay all around the main floor and jumping on all the furniture and then getting in trouble for it all. Mrs. Kanbara would make us sit in opposite corners of the room of each other so we wouldn't be in contact, but we still managed to fly paper airplanes back and forth with messages (and the occasional game of tick-tack-toe) scribbled on them when her back was turned. I didn't like admitting that I ever stooped to Takuya's level, but those times were undeniably enjoyable.

Then I realized I should probably answer the question of the Flame Inheritor and tried to think of a good response. "Well, we did have some of our shenanigans in our younger days. A little later, though…" My mind flashed forward, past the times when we'd do bad things (and get caught), to the times when we were in so deep that we couldn't get enough of each other. I felt my face heat when remembering just how we spent our time, how his touch was my addiction and his face was the image I always held within my mind. "…we had our ways."

He instantly caught my drift as to what I was referring and he laughed a little at the way I had worded it. "Yeah, we sure did." A pause ensued as he opened his mouth, but no words came out for a moment. His tone changed to one of curiosity and a search for a little foreshadow. "Hey, uh…" He tried to think of a good way to put his question, his eyes shifting around slightly. "Where do you think we'd be if Karin hadn't done… you know… did what…she did?"

My mind jumped off whatever track it was currently moving on to focus on his single point. _Yeah, where_ would_ we be? How different would things be? Would we even have come to the Digital World in the first place?_ I stopped my thoughts at one single image that arrived. I looked down at Takuya, and he was staring back up at me with the same expression, like he had the exact same thought that I did. I didn't doubt for a second that he did.

The look in his eyes began to speak to me, something in a little whisper that I just couldn't quite make out. I wanted to know what it was saying, I wanted to be able to hear it; it was like someone mouthing words, words that could be a million different things, but you want it to be just that one sentence you're looking for. But that brought me to a question I had to look into myself for: _What am I looking for?_

"Holy crap!"

We both jumped as without warning, Koji fell through the wall of the tree onto his face. _So you can just pass through the wall…cool._ It didn't look like one of his most graceful stunts, so I figured that it was pretty much accidental, and knowing him and his tendency to fall down whenever he got the chance, he most likely tripped and fell in. That really didn't surprise me. At all.

Before he could fully recover and gather all of his bearings, Takuya sat up and put distance between us. I tried not to look at his face when I got back to my feet and went to Koji. "Hey-hey, you found us!" I gave him a cheesy smirk and offered him my hand. He took it and I brought him up to his feet. As I took a good look at his face and wiped a little dirt of his cheek, I retorted, trying to reveal the pity I had on the boy, "Dang that gravity. Oh, Takuya ruined this tree, by the way."

The brunette's response was nearly instantaneous. "I did not!"

I mouthed 'he so did' to the ebony-haired teen before me and then questioned, "So did you find everyone else?" The effort that it took to get my mind back on the game I had forgotten we were playing was almost more than I felt like putting in, but I had a feeling that Takuya and I were probably the last ones he had to find, knowing that our hiding place was indeed pretty awesome.

Much to my surprise, he shook his head, his beautiful azure eyes showing a hint of a slightly childish frustration that only a game like this could possibly induce. "The only one I have left is Koichi. I can't find him anywhere."

My mind did a double-take when I fully realized the name that he said. Koichi. _Wow, he's gotta be good at this game if Koji hasn't been able to find him, 'cause it's just like looking for your own reflection in the mirror. Unless he found a tree like this one, I can't think of anywhere else he could be._ "Don't worry, JiJi, I'm gonna help you find him. He can't be hidden that far off." I felt him interlace his fingers with mine as I gave him a small smile.

"Uh…*coughImmathirdwheelcough*"

We turned back to Takuya, who had a little less than subtly noted his current position. My fingers automatically unlaced and snuck into my pocket at the realization at what his full meaning exactly meant. _Yeah, we have our little couple-y thing going on here and he can only stand there feeling awkward. I can't do that to him,_ I mentally stated, looking at Koji to try and transmit my thoughts to him. He didn't appear offended that I abandoned the little physical contact we had and seemed to understand my reasoning.

Koji gave our comrade a look as we proceeded with exiting out of our hiding tree. His lips showed a slightly disproving curve when he spoke, a curve that matched his disbelieving tone. "Takuya, you are not a third wheel."

"Well, Mirai replaced you with me, so I guess I'm not a third wheel as much of a second wheel that got a flat and was changed, but honestly, that's a bit more degrading." His voice came out flat, sounding like he wasn't very enthused with the conclusion he reached and voiced. I pitied a little him for that deduction he brought himself to, since it was my own fault for all of this happening to him and the way he worded it was that I just upgraded from him to Koji to fit the need.

I fidgeted uncomfortably at where this conversation was going. Returning to the past when all I did was make mistakes over and over and refused to admit that I had done so put me onto edge, so I resorted to walking a little ahead of the group and pretending to be occupied with looking for Koji's older twin in my efforts to block out what they were saying. There were things I just didn't want to go back to and now that they both knew just what happened in my past, I refused to let it affect me in this future I was building for myself. I didn't wish for anymore disagreement to emerge in my already-conflicting feelings, I didn't want to question just how intertwined I was with my loved ones, I didn't want anyone else to get hurt if my feelings suddenly morphed into something different that would change everything that was set up to preserve happiness.

"Koichi!" I called, cupping my hands around my mouth as soon as I began catching ear of what the two guys behind me were speaking of. "You can come out! You win!" My eyes moved all over in my search for the well-hidden Warrior, but seeing nothing out of the ordinary. All I heard was the sounds of Takuya and Koji and the rustling of leaves that seemed to be getting louder and louder by each little millisecond that passed. "Koich—!"

I didn't get to even finish his name before I was knocked to my feet and got crushed. Trying to recover from the sudden blow and gathering up my marbles, I realized the rustling of foliage was Koichi falling out of the above branches. On top of me.

"I'm sorry, Mirai!" He jumped to his feet, ignoring the disorientation that was clear on his face, and noticed that he had pretty much squashed me. While all I could say was 'oww~!', he helped me back up to my feet and continued a barrage of apologies and 'are you okay's. His round eyes grew slightly vexed when I reached out, causing him to cease his talking almost instantly, and pulled a leaf out of his hair with a small 'it's all right' smile on my face.

Again it surprised me. Before all of this, I'd be ripping his head off for accidentally falling on top of me, for even touching me. I wouldn't have even bothered to get the leaf out of his hair; I wouldn't have given a second thought to it because I'd be too caught up trying to make him into nothing, blowing everything out of proportion just because I thought myself to be ever-so superior. And now here I was, smiling and forgiving him instantly, tidying his presentation, all because of the effects of the Digital World. All because of what the Warriors had done for me and because they stuck with me until I became what kind of person I was really supposed to be. It was so inconceivable that this reality didn't seem at all genuine; these situations all were so extreme and drove me to the point where at times I had to stop and wonder if this was all a dream that I was about to wake up from at any given moment.

I forced myself to let a small laugh out. "It's all right, Koichi." To try to prove my point, I tickled his nose with the leaf. But after it got awkward, I just kinda dropped it and put my eyes off of him, changing the subject, "So…how did you get up in that tree?" _He's got ninja moves!_

He scratched the back of his head, making me think that he probably tapped into his Koji-stalking-skills to find such a good place to hide and concealing himself there. "I climbed," he replied simply, a little prideful that he had won the game. "But I didn't think the branch…would break…" _Okay, so maybe he's not exactly a ninja…_

It was my turn to look a little sheepish. "Yeah, I didn't expect it to break, either…" A weird moment ensued, causing me to direct my next words to the entire group because there was no real good way to recover from that interesting epoch. "Okay, let's head back. I'm sure Patamon will have another thing to do all figured out." Internally, I let out a groan. I just didn't know what that Digimon was in need of; either medication or a time out.

When we arrived back, that little Celestial seemed a bit hyped up on a little more than sugar. He was flying around like a shot, so excited that his game was a success and everyone tried their hardest to hide (or at least he thought so). Bokomon was trying to calm him down while Neemon offered random comments as advice, leaving the rest of us to just watch without a clue of what to do. None of us were dumb enough to try to quell the hyperactiveness dwelling within the young Digimon.

He flew around, circling around us like he was trying to prevent us from leaving. "Now we play tag!" he squealed, going into childish laughter. "Nose goes!"

Again, all of us reacted…

…except for Koji.

"I'm beginning to sense a pattern," he muttered, glaring at nothing in particular in the distance. Anyone could tell by looking at his face that he wasn't just thrilled out of his mind. In fact, he seemed very, very far from the word 'thrilled'.

But nonetheless, he complied in accordance to Patamon's endless ideas and started running about after us, causing me to realize that he somehow could look even more ridiculous than he did while counting in front of a tree: All he had to do was play tag with a completely stern expression on his face. The only one that was really laughing was Patamon, which really wasn't a surprise, but it was enough to say that the rest of us running from the Warrior of Light put in at least a little effort to look amused. We did actually let out genuine laughter a few times, watching Koji trying to swipe his hand at someone but then being caught under the influence of gravity again.

It was obvious Koji had no strategy at all whatsoever. One minute, he'd be chasing after one Warrior, then another when they happened to cross his path, and then he'd be jumping up and down like a lunatic trying to grab Patamon like he was trying to catch a firefly to preserve in a jar.

All of our scrambling around seemingly made him frustrated, since he was the ever-cool Warrior of Light and no one should show him up, and he couldn't catch any of us. He'd make the swipes at our elbows when they jarred back in our running motions, but apparently spending time with the likes of us was dumbing him down and throwing off his timing. And after a little bit, after he ran around in what I realized was pretty much a big circle repeatedly, he got dizzy and collapsed to the ground.

Takuya approached the ebony-haired boy and offered him his hand. "Congratulations, Koji, you've officially found a way to lose the game of tag." He gave him a toothy grin, which was returned with a glare, despite that he had accepted the offer of a hand.

"Mirai, I think you broke your boyfriend. He's pretty klutzy now; what did you do to him?" JP nudged me and sent me a creepy expression, as if he expected the worst of me. But that really wasn't much of a change; most people really _did_ expect the worst of me. The main thing that got me was the fact that he used the word 'boyfriend'. Everyone seemed to be using the boyfriend-girlfriend terminology lately, and I honestly didn't appreciate it very much.

I merely narrowed my eyes and didn't look at him. I just stared down at my shoes and acted as though I wasn't beginning to blush a shade of red that if it were on a strawberry, it would be too ripe for consumption. Even though I knew it wasn't the case, I felt as though everyone was looking at me, which didn't really help my facial condition. Despite my embarrassment, my head snapped back up as soon as I heard the first note in Patamon's chiming voice.

He had a big smile on his face, which matched his tone to a T. It didn't surprise me that "Next is Duck Duck Goose!" Another laugh. "Nooose goes!"

…Yeah, the outcome was just obvious.

At Koji's unimpressed expression, the Warrior of Flame merely laughed and told him while giving the boy a look that showed unlimited levels of amusement that spoke for the emotion that everyone else was probably feeling as well (aside from a certain ebony-haired teen, of course), "Wow, dude, you are not good at this at _all_."

Koji turned away from the group, looking like he wanted to walk away from us, and I thought for sure I saw something close to a little pout on his face. I almost hoped that I was imagining things, otherwise, I might've been forced to take away his man card. "I quit."

Apparently this was a good cue for Zoe to grab me by the arm and give me advice on what I should do. I wasn't sure if I should've made eye contact, as it might've just encouraged her. "Mirai, use your feminine charm to make him play!"

I turned and gave her an open-mouthed stare like she'd said the dumbest thing I'd ever heard. It actually was pretty close to it, too. "_Hell_ no." Looking away from her smile, my gaze darted over to Koji, who turned to look at me as soon as he heard Zoe's statement. When I saw his pinked cheeks, I showed off the smallest upward curve of my lips in his direction, causing his expression to lighten from his little scowl to something close to the tiniest of smiles. I could see contentment in his tranquil eyes and because of them, for a split-second, I didn't care everyone else was around and watching us, almost for the reason that I nearly _forgot_ they were right there and able to openly eavesdrop.

But then the thought came that just maybe Zoe would find a time to shout to Koji, "C'mon, man up and do something romantic already, you dunce!" so I decided to look away awkwardly, trying to appear distracted by my shoelaces, one of which was untied and just ready to trip me.

"Maybe we _should_ take a break; I think I'm gonna drop over from hunger!" JP complained, looking at each and every one of us, asking with his eyes for at least one of us to back him up in his excuse to stop Patamon's constant barrage of games. I honestly didn't blame him, but I didn't want to be the one to back him up for the fact I'd come off as that crazy chick that went from wishing for a tender moment with a guy to begging to be fed.

Bokomon comforted Patamon, who was disappointed that we were quitting all of the games he thought of for us, and then he looked at the Warrior of Thunder with a skeptical expression. "Must you always think with your stomach?" _That's a stupid question._

And now, apparently if Bokomon makes a statement, it's imperative for Neemon to respond to it with his… "intelligence". "Well, what else do you think with?"

The informational Digimon shook his head with his paw pressed to his temple, like a response like this surprised him. I don't know about him, but it really didn't catch me off-guard. Although my latest thought was disproven when he noted, "Sometimes I wonder if you ever think about what comes out of your mouth." _The obvious answer is no._

Trying to prevent this conversation to go a-bust, I decided to take proper measures to end it right then and there. "Let's not open _that_ can of worms." And it was instantly clear that was a bad choice of wording on my part.

"Ooh, is that what we're having for dinner?" I didn't have to look at Neemon to respond, because as soon as the *SNAP!* and his wailing ensued, I knew that was a good enough answer as any I had the ability to give, if not better.

For the chance that an all-out brawl might spur, Takuya stepped in, taking on his leader status. "How 'bout we break off into groups and look around for some grub? We'll meet back here later and then find a good campsite," he suggested, looking at each of us for facial input. When none of us objected to his proposition, he then grinned, showing me that he'd been probably waiting a while for a meal. "All right, then, gang! Motion carry!"

I was about to go off and team up with Koji, as we hadn't really been together for what felt like the longest time, but the sight of Koichi watching me while taking an unsure step toward his twin made me think twice. He needed to bond with Koji more than I did, despite that little itty bitty protest that arose from inside me at the thought, and so, against my outmost desires, forced a motion with my head in the Warrior of Light's direction, signaling to the oldest brother that he could have Koji to himself for now.

The smile that Koichi gave me was something beyond genuine gratefulness. As he ran to catch up with his younger brother, I merely watched his back, wondering just what he was thinking about, what he and Koji were going to talk about, how much closer these little amounts of time were going to make them. It still was almost like a faint dream that their meeting had been created because they were enemies, that at one point, they wanted nothing more to destroy each other. And now, it was like none of that had happened. Fate really had a strong hand with these brothers.

So, feeling as though I did my good deed of the day by sharing Koji, I decided to go off with Takuya. After thinking about my decision for a few moments, I felt as though I could've made a much better choice in those regards, but as soon as I got that notion, I was already walking beside him back into the forest. Looking about for something eatable was a rather complex process, since being in the Digital World didn't really make what us humans called normal food actually food.

As I scrounged around amongst oddly-shaped bushes and shrubs, I called to Takuya, "Hey, maybe if we're lucky, we'll find some of those weird cabbages or something." No response. "Uh…Takuya?" I peered up from the abnormal foliage and looked around, seeing him no longer where he had been standing moments before I began my search. But then the distinct red color of his jacket caught my eye up in a tree, giving my mind enough to realize he was up there and ascending higher and higher. "Okay, what are you doing?"

My gaze locked on his form as he responded, speaking simply as if the answer was right in front of my face. "Seeing how big this dome is and exactly what's all in it. It's just so weird how it's just kinda…here. It's like an oasis within a sandy desert, 'cept without all the sand."

I felt my face automatically contort into an accepting expression. "Wow, fitting simile. That's rather surprising, Takuya," I stated, beginning my search for something edible once again and going onto my hands and knees to assist.

"You expect _so_ little of me, Miri—" _That name again. Is he intentionally using that name?_ "—I'm smarter than you think I am. Now I may not be top of the class smart, but I got my strong points." I could hear the smugness weaved deeply within his voice, with just a hint of sarcasm.

I stifled a laugh, not quite sure how to respond to his current tone. "You sure do."

It was overly surprising when he grew silent after my words, since he would've usually said something more to prove his point that he wasn't as stupid as he thought I thought he was. I didn't I insult him or anything, or at least I didn't think so, so for him to suddenly stop conversation was very strange. But then it all made sense as soon as he spoke, as he changed the current subject of conversation. "Hey, so, what do you like about Koji?"

"Wha—?" My head shot up at his question and I banged it on a low branch. "Oww~!" I rubbed the new, instantly-formed bump and when I recovered from the blow, stopped my objective of looking for food to just sit on the ground and stare at my lap as if it held the words I was looking for. I could feel my cheeks burning, so I didn't dare glance up. "Why would you ask me something like that?" It startled me how lost of enthusiasm my voice decided to be.

I could hear the sounds of him beginning to climb back down the branches of the tree. His voice again was something of a self-righteous nature. "It's my duty as the older brother to make sure you're with a decent guy and you're together for all the right reasons." _I knew that brother-thing was gonna come back to bite me…_

"Somehow I doubt that's the real reason why you're asking," I retorted, beginning to draw in the dirt with my index finger to keep my mind off of my intense blush, "because it's not often that I'd tell you that kind of stuff."

The sound of his feet connecting with the ground made me jump slightly. The shadow that suddenly overcame me told me he was leaning directly over me, like how my mother used to do when she wanted to know what I was doing on the computer. But what he did that my mother didn't was repeatedly poke me on the back of the head just below my new bump, the prodding matching with each syllable that came from his mouth, "C'mon, you can tell me, buddy! Think of me as your galpal!"

At this, I instantly turned to give him a stare with a raised eyebrow. "What the hell have _you_ been smokin'?"

He gave me a skeptic sort of look as if he thought I was inquiring him seriously. "Cut me some slack here, dude. I'm serious—well, not about the galpal-thing, but you know." He noticed my mouth flat-line when he came to the 'but' in my efforts to try to read him and what he was getting at, and then his bright irises flickered off of me, sitting down cross-legged like he was preparing himself to say something deep and poetic. "I get this really weird vibe off of you two." _Yeah. Real poetic there, Robert Frost._

It was my turn to be skeptical as I turned my body around to face him directly, even though my eyes remained everywhere but on him. He was the last person I imagined talking to about what Koji and I were, much more him outwardly _asking_ about us. _What's his angle? _I furrowed my brows tightly and my voice came out colder than I intended, "What's that supposed to mean?" _Wow, that came out a little rough around the edges…_

He took this chance to sort of stroke his cheek with the tip of his index finger as he thought, seemingly attempting to put his thoughts into proper sentences. He took long enough to do so, as it felt like half of forever went by before a peep came out of him. "It's like…you emit what you feel for each other." My gaze flashed to him for the smallest fraction of a second and I saw him fidgeting, his skin color deepening into a red I couldn't identify. "You can see what you're feeling. When Koji was walking away and you two locked eyes, it was as though…the air had changed."

The way he was just admitting this made me uncomfortable. I didn't like expressing any of the things I felt out loud like he seemed to be trying to get me to do, and I didn't know why he was trying so hard. I tried to portray distance, hoping he'd just shut up already. "What's your point?" It wasn't until my voice was out that I realized it was more of a squeak than the solemn tone I wanted. I didn't want anything to do with this topic of conversation.

Another silence. I didn't dare peer at him for the chance that maybe I wouldn't like what I saw. The reasons why he desired to put this conversation on me were endless. For a few moments I considered that maybe he was throwing it at me to mock me that I had grown soft and "lovey-dovey" and everything that Zoe thought I was, and I _refused_ to become that love-obsessed creature that she imagined I could somehow morph into with enough practice. Practice that I really didn't want to get in. I was fine right where I was; I didn't have to change myself to make some sort of fanbase that supported "Mirkou" or whatever our relationship would be called as if this was an anime or something.

"I don't remember it ever being that way with us."

His voice came out so suddenly, in such a different tone, that I almost missed it. But the fact that I caught it caused my mind to spiral off the path it was on and take in each and every word that fell from his lips at that moment. This made me so much more confused. _Why is he bringing this up? He's not jealous of Koji, is he? No, I'm assuming too much. I can't even make the assumption that he still feels for me. Nothing he can do, nothing I can tell him, will change anything. He should know that. …So what is this?_

I absent-mindedly drew circles and designs around with my index finger on my pantleg. My teeth punctured through the skin on my lip and my tongue swept across to taste the blood it drew. The words came out without warning me beforehand, quiet, void of feeling. "Because it _never_ was that way with us." I closed my eyes, trying to imagine what hue my irises had adopted when the truth had fallen out without any hesitation; I didn't want to see how he reacted to how uncaring my tone was. "I'm sorry. It shouldn't have come out like that…"

"You weren't lying, though. I know it's true. Just by looking at you, I know things are different. I…I can't explain it." The sound of him getting back onto his feet reached my ears and I heard him walking, never getting far, but walking, leading me to think maybe he was pacing around. "Truth is…" Pausing briefly, he let out a hard sigh and my mind automatically imagined him titling his head upward to gaze at the sky peeking through the branches above. "I'm envious of you two."

This I wasn't expecting. He was always so self-supported; for him to say that he wanted what Koji and I had made me realize he was maturing and developing more than I had assumed. I fully realized he gained new perspective of leadership and he had more self-control, but this sentimental, new side…I didn't suspect it. He was one of those I imagined, when asked where he stood on romance, to just proclaim, "I'll never fall in love, I swear!" and then run his fingers through his hair like he was on top of the world, making himself the target of girls that gossiped in school hallways.

That was the impression I had gained of him when first arriving in the Digital World, when he seemingly had no thoughts of me, but once again, my thoughts had been disproved in a single instant and told me to go over my opinions again. Maybe I was just bad at observing others around me. "What are you getting at, Takuya?" I questioned, trying not to think too hard at what he was saying for the possibility that I was reading too far into it. _He said he was envious of _us_. Not jealous of Koji himself, but of _us_, what we possess. But…that still doesn't tell me very much. _"If this is an attempt at flirting, you're failing miserably. You used to be a lot better at it than this."

He snorted. "I know better than that. If Koji found out, he'd probably beat me up… Or… at least try, because we all know I could whip his butt, no sweat."

_Wow, he changed moods quickly. It's like his sentimental side only shows up once in a blue moon. His cockiness…not so much._ "You just keep telling yourself that." I began to smirk, feeling the thick cloud of tension beginning to dissipate. It was a pleasing fact that we could still hold normal conversations—or at least as our conversations got—after the awkwardness of one of those more interesting, so-called "intimate" talks. "I'm sorry, but I'm supporting Koji in the one."

As I leaned back and rested my head against the soft grass, he peered down at me with a snaggletooth grin. His eyes shined with emotions that didn't seem as though they were present mere moments before. "Yeah, of course you'd support your boyfriend."

My face grew into an instantaneous crimson at his remark. No matter what else he would've decided to put in that sentence, if all he kept was the word 'boyfriend', then the reaction would've been all the same. I didn't like that word. It was too…too… "He is _not_ my _boyfriend_." …too wrong.

He arched a single eyebrow at my words. "Try telling that to Zoe." At the Italian girl's name, his eyes seemed to dart about, as if at the mentioning of her would somehow summon her. A few quiet moments passed before he continued, his voice flat and emotionless as he shot out all of his words in a single breath and without hesitation. "She's convinced you two are star-crossed lovers that were predetermined to meet in the Digital World as fellow Legendary Warriors and are destined to live this big Romeo and Juliet fairytale. God knows why."

I facepalmed, feeling one of my eyelids beginning to twitch awkwardly. _Leave it to Zoe to think that. She just found out about our…thing and now she's telling Takuya that we're based off of a tragic, Shakespearean play. Yup, that's just great. Does she even know star-crossed means we'd be ill-fated? Some fairytale._ "And did you tell her we _weren't_?" My voice had morphed into a sort of hiss, threatening homicide within its notes if he decided he wanted to conveniently give me the wrong answer.

And of course, the wrong answer was his best friend, as usual. "Nope."

On my feet, fuming with my fist getting ready for some action on his face, I questioned hard, "And why the hell _not_?" I really shouldn't have cared that Warrior of Wind said; I never was concerned with her fangirlisms before, but between Takuya calling Koji my boyfriend and her obsessive obsessions, I was getting pretty pissed at the world. Some things just never changed, no matter how long you roomed in Sakkakumon and fought its demons.

That look that came across his face in that second was one I couldn't recognize or comprehend. Curiosity brought me to that constant wondering of what he was thinking about. "I want to keep her hopeful." I watched his russet irises move about, on everything but on me. His face was solemn, holding all of the emotions of a true leader of the DigiDestined. "Here, hope is as necessary as the air we breathe…I'd hate to see her without it."

My posture loosened and my anger dissipated, leaving me with nothing but perplexity and apprehension. His response had caught me severely off-guard; I expected a dumb, Takuya-like retort to make me want to beat him up as he normally did, but this seemed to come literally out of nowhere, this sudden admittance out of all the answers to my aggravated demands. At the flavor of his words, I let myself smile. "You really do make a pretty decent leader, Takuya, I'll admit it." _It's 'cause you're so good at playing the big brother…_

His cheeks turned a little pink at the compliment, and he broke into a little bit of a smirk. _Now that's typical Takuya._ "Well, what do you expect? I _am_ pretty awesome." _Now don't get too cocky, Kanbara._ "Besides, you must've known deep, deep down that I had serious leadershippy-guiding skills, otherwise you wouldn't have chosen me to be your surrogate—" _Wow, I'm surprised you know a word that big._ "—brother. You _know_ Takuya Kanbara takes care of his homies."

A long pause.

"Please tell me you did _not_ just say homies." The urge to smack him was nearly impossible to resist, but somehow I managed to control the muscles in my arm. Well, at least control them so I didn't smack him, but not enough to keep from whacking him in the back of the head. And before he could whine, I suggested in a tone that made me feel as though I was being uptight, "Now we might as well do at least a little bit of that food-searching you advised like a million years ago. That is, if you haven't forgotten."

His grin grew all the wider and he interlocked the crook of my elbow with his. At this, I gave him an empty stare with an interrogation, "Are you sure you're not trying to flirt? Because if you are, this is not a good way to go about it."

He seemed to have expected this inquiry from a long way off, because his words were quick and prepared, his cheekiness obvious by the notes of his tone. "Yep, I'm sure. Just escorting my 'lil sis about the forest like a good brother should."

Needless to say, my hand connecting to his face wiped that smirk right off it. "Shut up." _Yup, it's official. That you're-like-a-brother-to-me thing just came back and bit me on the butt…_

* * *

The stars dotted the sky like sequins sewn on a dark, elegant canvas. The moons stood out like cut gemstones, set aglow with the gentleness of a candle flame's outline. The branches above that encircled the portrait of the night sky swayed like under hypnotism, dancing with the light wind as its partner, caressing it to move with the silent melodies to which they waltzed. The air was fresh with the scent of nature and the foliage all around, pure and untainted by smells of Tokyo and the polluted air that we humans were adapted to taking in.

My fingers reached out slightly and curled around his index finger like a little child. In turn, his hand moved, sliding across my skin and his fingers intertwining with mine. I loved the way our fingers fit together, the empty space between them when alone suddenly filled with his warm, soothing touch. My head turned towards him and my eyes locked with his. The stars reflected like little diamonds in his deep, endless irises that matched the heavens. His gaze emitted a warmth like orange coals, a warmth that I could recall was absent when we first arrived in the Digital World, and it made me crave to draw nearer to his enmity to feel his affection and take it all for myself.

A smile crossed my lips and in an instant, one matching mine was facing me, but so much more beautiful, lacking any flaws in its shape and placement on his face. My glance drifted down onto his soft lips, and in one moment, I yearned to feel them locked with mine. It felt like so long ago since I felt that empowering sting on my tongue, that static flow within every inch of my body, that overwhelming wave of emotion overcome all other sense of feeling except for what he allowed me to feel. It took all strength I possessed to keep from throwing myself on top of him, chest to chest, heartbeat synced with heartbeat, and kissing him until I ran short of breath.

But no matter what Zoe may have thought, I refused to admit he was my _boyfriend._ Boyfriend? No. Play-thing? No. Lover? _Hell no_.

I couldn't explain how I felt toward this boy. All I was certain of was what Takuya had made clear to me with his words, "_Just by looking at you, I know things are different. I…I can't explain it._" And I realized that I couldn't put how different it was into words, either. It had no definition by the words I knew, which was why I refused to use the term 'boyfriend'. You couldn't put a label on what I felt we had; boyfriend was too short of a title for what I felt he was to me. Maybe I was blind, bound by hormones and my own illusions, but a simple appellation just didn't fit well enough.

_Now isn't a good time to think about that_, I decided. _It'll deter my thoughts and distract me._ With my free hand, I pushed my bangs away from my eyes and slicked them back for them only to fall back into the unwanted place again. My face instantly ignited when he took his own hand and pushed them back again, his fingertips grazing my face with the gentleness of falling snow. But instead of returning his hand, he kept it to my cheek, holding my face still and my eyes intertwined with his.

We moved closer almost subconsciously, our bodies nearly touching, and instantly my lips parted to make room for his. My gaze never left his tranquil irises until my vision went into darkness as our mouths interlocked. I was getting my wish…

…Well, until…

"Omigosh~! So _kawaii_!"

We couldn't have pushed each other away faster. Unfortunately, the ground we were lying upon was a slight slope, so I found myself somersaulting a few times down it. But when I regained my composure, I saw an apologetic-looking Koji, but that was the least of my thoughts. The main thing that now had my attention was Zoe, standing atop the slope while fangirling over the fact that she caught us beginning to make out. I had to suppress the distinct urge to physically beat the image out of her.

I leapt up to my feet, bouncing up with my toes so that I wasn't far from her when the words didn't hesitate to come out strong. "You saw _nothing_," I snarled defensively, my face burning with so many emotions. "If you tell _anyone_—" Without missing a syllable, Takuya's face flashed into my mind. I tried to shake the image out, but even though I succeeded, perplexity took his place. "—I will personally rip the happy right out of your soul."

She patted my head as if I was a little kid making an empty threat and let out a little giggle. "You and I both know you wouldn't do that." She glanced for a split-second over to Koji, making me decide to do so as well and seeing that he looked kinda confused as to what he should be doing right then. "But no worries. I won't tell anyone." She showed off a big grin. "But I can't believe you two! Sneaking off to be together—you're too cute!"

In response, I merely frowned, trying to keep myself from saying something entirely rude. _The sarcastic, inconsiderate Mirai is gone_, I told myself, _so don't act like this. You're trying to improve relationships, not push your comrades away._ But my mind objected, knowing that this one topic of which I was getting off-kilter with was a whole different issue than others that I used to get angry about, and it tried to justify my aggravation. Holding my peace as much as my patience could handle, I began to walk away, mumbling to her as I went by with a flat tone, "And by the way, never use the word _cute_ when I'm involved."

The rest of the group was just on the other side of the hill and down that slope, being the reason that Koji and I had been so quiet, as not to draw any attention and make anyone come to investigate. We had given excuses to make up for our individual absences, and of course, the only one that had been suspicious of us was none other than that Warrior of Wind. But that was a given.

I approached my fellow Warriors, who seemed to be caught up in a light conversation of some sort. They were gathered around a fire (of which we all stood by as Takuya attempted to get it lit by rubbing sticks together like he did in the TV Forest, watching him with amusement) and cooking meat apples that some of them managed to find (which was better than Takuya and I, since we came back completely empty-handed). As soon as I put myself down next to Koichi, I turned back to the direction I had come only to see Koji running towards us, looking more afraid than I'd ever seen him appear, and Zoe calling to him, "Koji, wait! It was only a question!"

_I don't even wanna know what she asked that poor boy…_ My hand went up to my head, feeling like a headache was about to come on, and all I wanted to do was forget that I had imagination that was fully capable of going through the possibilities of her likely inquiries. "So what are you guys talkin' about?" I asked, turning back to the Warriors that were surrounding the fire. I reached for a meat apple and pierced a long stick through it before putting it into the flame.

"What we'd be doing right now if we were home," Tommy responded, his eyes set aglow like emeralds from the blaze burning in front of him. I couldn't really define his expression; if it was contented or grim, I couldn't tell. "If we never came here."

There was something in his wording that hit me hard, sent me back emotionally a peg or two like someone hit me in the face with something. But then I noticed them looking at me, wanting me to share. "Well…" I stared hard at the meat apple cooking as if it had the answers I wanted carved into its skin. "…I'd probably have locked myself in my room with the music turned up so loud the neighbors would be complaining while trapped in my own head." Immediately I could envision my mom rapping on my bedroom door, yelling at me things that I couldn't hear through my music, as I mouthed all of the lyrics with absolute detachment from the world around me.

"Sounds about right." Takuya's confirming voice brought my gaze upward to meet him, but I only stared at his shoes. My eyes told him now it was his turn. If he knew me so well, he should know himself. "Me, I'd probably be playing some Call of Duty, beating anyone that comes at me, just like I do here in the Digital World." His tone was smug and over-confident, but honestly, I was certain his words were indeed true. He really _was_ addicted to COD.

Zoe sat down next to me, smiling brightly. "I'd probably be watching TV on the couch with my parents. It's Friday, and that's when we have Movie Night. We all snuggle up into one big blanket together and eat popcorn and drink soda. Ah, _ricordi…_" Her eyes glimmered at the mentioning of the memories while it surprised me that she had kept track of the day of the week, even being here in the Digital World.

Pulling the meat apple out of the fire, I rested the stick across my lap for the strange apple to cool and listened to Koji, who was sitting on the other side of his brother, share what he'd be up to, "Practicing guitar, most likely." _The ability to play guitar makes that boy so much hotter…_ "It always falls out of tune…" His voice sounded discouraged at the last sentence, but then he uplifted his tone at his next words, "Either that, or composing. I'd be brooding over all the unfinished pieces that are filling up a drawer in my desk." _He composes music too?_

The one that looked the most impressed by Koji's words was Koichi. I could assume just the fact that he was learning more about his younger twin was very indescribable to him, like some sort of dream that he wished he would never wake up from. I recalled the look on his face when I let him go with Koji earlier that day, and so these moments of bonding must've been like receiving priceless treasures to him. At least, that's how I read his face. I had never seen someone so happy.

Without a warning, the blonde Italian girl clapped her hands together and suggested with high enthusiasm, "I got an idea. How about we go around the circle and everyone tell one random fact about themselves that no one else knows?" She then nudged me in the side. "Mirai will go first and we'll work our way around!"

I narrowed my eyes, knowing that she'd do that. I bit into the meat apple, tasting lamb while trying to give myself more time to think. Chewing in slow motion, my eyes went around the circle, and I realized everyone was looking at me, aside from Neemon, who was busy making a shish kabob with about five meat apples and some sort of veggie I didn't know the identity of, "Well…" I didn't like how they were staring at me. "…my brother Yukio is a pain in the _oshiri_."

"Knew that!" Takuya cut in, instantly on the receiving end of a meat apple that I had thrown. He easily dodged with a simple lean to the side and beamed. "Try again, Miri!"

Not sure if he meant I was supposed to try to hit him again or give another fact about myself, I decided to do the latter. _It's stupid that he's a childhood friend; it makes this so much harder because he knows so much about me. _"…When I was little, my mom used to sing me a song every night before I went to bed. After my oldest brother passed away. It would help me sleep." _He's the one that first inspired me to sing,_ I added mentally, thinking of my _nii-san_.

"Aww, how sweet, Mirai!" Zoe gave me a quick, half-hug squeeze before proclaiming, "It's your turn, Koichi!"

The dark-haired boy beside me was silent as his mind searched for something. His fingers moved about, tapping his leg absent-mindedly. "Um, well…" He most likely felt everyone's eyes upon him and his cheeks grew slightly pink. "I don't like it when…people swear."

As if that was a cue of some sort, all the others turned to look at me.

"What?" was all I could say.

* * *

The night went on, everyone getting words in and we held decent heart-to-hearts. It felt as though we couldn't be closer than we were then, that we were on top of the world, that nothing could ruin these moments that'll be forever etched in our memories of our time here in the Digital World. Things had truly changed from when we first arrived. It felt like centuries ago, when everyone was each other's enemies and we were fearful of everything that could lurk in this mysterious land.

And now, here we were. Cherubimon was just around the next bend and we were confident that with our teamwork and unity, we'd come out on top. The little kids that first arrived on the Trailmon would only look like us from the outside, minus the cuts and bruises, and if they saw us now, they'd stare in wonder at what we'd become. To think those little children were at one time _us_. We were Legendary Warriors, inheritors of Spirits that were passed to us by the Celestials. It was like from some sort of storybook, like tales full of dragons and knights and adventure.

But this was no story.

This was _us_.

We were writing the story.

This seemed so hard to believe, that we were in charge of our own destinies. Ophanimon had sent for us and we accepted her request, deciding for ourselves to take the opportunity offered us. At the time it felt like it had been thrust upon us, that we couldn't turn back no matter how much we wanted to, that some sort of divine force was writing our paths out and all we could do was obediently walk upon it. Yet right now, sitting around hot remnants of our fire, I had never felt so in control. It didn't matter how much evil threatened us and tried to take us down; we made our own choices and they were always the same each and every time: Persevere and survive.

It made me realize that it would've been the same, had our Fates been predestined and set. Sure, some things lied higher than coincidence. Koichi holding the same name as my brother, him and Koji meeting here, Takuya and I reuniting here, but those were only mere things when it all came down to it. The main thing was all us, our decisions.

_The Digital World called and we answered…_

I smiled and let my body drop back into the grass. My eyes closed and I listened to the quietness around me. I thought of my _nii-san_, of that song my mother used to sing to me, and I suddenly realized how much I missed my home in the real world. As I reminder and a way to soothe myself, I ran through the lyrics in my head, not conscious to the fact that I had begun to sing the words out loud,

"Promise that we'll stay for the sunset and when the moon shines through the darkness. We can find the path that leads us home, and on the way, you'll…maybe…sing me a song.

"Promise that you always will be there. Hold my hand, if ever I'm real scared. Help me stand up tall if I fall down. Make me laugh away all my bluest days.

"How could you promise you always would be there? Why'd you have to go away somewhere?

"Every morning into every night, do you watch over me like the sun in the sky? Am I all alone or standing in your light?

"I wish that I could…maybe…sing you a song…tonight…

"…You promised me we'd stay for the sunset…"


	37. Chapter 35

**Be proud of me, meh peeps! Completed this chapter in less than a month's time! Sure it's shorter than I wanted it to be, but it's still twenty-four pages on Microsoft Word, so that's good enough for me! (Plus, if I try to continue with this chapter, it'd take forever because I've been getting caught up watching the Olympics. Being a runner myself, I love watching track. Bolt FTW!)**

**I was super duper happy I could get this out so soon (so soon as in less than two months...), because on the 20th I start school again. Bleh. Not fun. And that means that updates will slow down again. I'll try to work really hard on it, but I don't know how much I can do since I'm taking an advanced-placement english class and that requires a lot of work. I've procrastinated on my summer homework because I was taking the time to finish this for you guys (so please be happy with this one...).  
**

**Anyway, enough of my complaining, onto the more important things. One, I decided I'm not killing off Lekismon yet and I'm saving it for the next chapter, and two, something that will deter my updates is a special one-shot I'm planning out to commemorate the third anniversary of Wherever You Will Go. It's...uh, different. It'll have the Frontier gang and my dear OC Mirai (of course, otherwise I'd have no plot), and...well...you'll just have to see. It'll be posted on this fic's anniversary: November 12th! (Save the date, loves!)  
**

**Takuya: And believe me, it's not very fun. I've seen the outline she's writing out and I think I just may die at the end of it. =.=  
**

**Shut up, Taku! *tackles gogglehead down to shut him up* You're gonna ruin it! But don't worry, he's not gonna die! Well...no he's not gonna die! Why would I kill off my favorite character of all time? *hears Takuya groan in annoyance* Oh, c'mon, Taku! It's not that bad! *picks him up and dusts him off*  
**

**Onwards! This chapter was a fun one to write. I didn't have much problem with writer's block, and I'm making a transition into Mirai's personality. I'll mention right now that she is still a little emotionally unbalanced. But a change like she went through kind of requires some sort of side effect like that, and over time, she'll become more stable.  
**

**Also, you'll notice I changed a couple things in the Celestials' backstories. I decided to do so because I was caught thinking too hard about Cherubimon's words and eventually I actually started feeling sorry for him. I have no idea where it came from, but Cherubimon quickly became one of my favorite characters to work with.  
**

**Oh yea, and since some people are just a little annoyed with my Japanese inserts, whenever someone decides to swear (which happens less and less as the story goes on, showing some developing maturity on Mirai's part), I'll just do English. But with Patamon's nicknames for Mirai and Koji (Mi-chan and Ko-kun), they will remain the same with the Japanese name honorifics.  
**

**Okay, now that I'm being distracted by Olympic highlights again, I'll end my author's note here. Taku, care to do the honors?  
**

**Takuya: *groan* Alright. There's way too much that I do for you... Enjoy chapter 35, during which I think Kimi lost the last little hunk of her mind. (Me: What?! You be quiet!) Hugs and kisses and all that shizz...  
**

* * *

Chapter 35

"I think a good idea is to call this Operation: Free Ophanimon!"

The following morning, we departed almost reluctantly from the dome of which we stayed, as it was a sort of haven for us, because now we were off. Desolate land spread out all around us, two high cliffs jutting out on both sides of us, leaving us to walk the straight path they made toward Cherubimon's castle.

It wasn't as though we could've stayed in that oasis, however. Reason being, as soon as all of the members of our party left it, the little world inside turned to static and the things that we could once see clearly blurred, before the entire area just dissipated into nothingness. It was as though someone had made it just for us as some sort of rest stop. That seemed to be the general consensus, so before our departure we had taken a few moments to give a silent thank you.

But now as we were, walking in a almost single file line, listening to Takuya, who was standing in the front of the pack, go on and on about his title for our current goal to finally rescue Ophanimon, I had to make an objection, "Takuya, it's not an operation, it's a mission. A mission is an objective that we need to achieve; it'd be an operation if we had a _plan_, which we _don't_." _We're just going in and winging it after that, like we usually do,_ my mind added, even though I didn't get to put that in, as the Warrior of Flame had already decided to contradict me.

"Since when did you become a dictionary? Besides, if we say it's an operation, it sounds a lot better than Mission: Free Ophanimon. You gotta admit I'm right there." He turned back and started to walk backwards so that he could freely give me a smirk. His arms were crossed and I was surprised that he was actually retaining his balance as well as he was.

I glared at him. It really did sound better than using mission. "But it's incorrect. Don't you know your own language?"

Zoe took this time to step into the space in between us. "C'mon, guys! We're almost to the Rose Morning Star!" she exclaimed cheerily, not the tone that I was expecting her to have when trying to get us to stop bickering, "So we can just store up our anger against each other and take it out on Cherubimon! We have to save Ophanimon whether it's an operation or not." She then slung her arms on both of our shoulders and pulled us close so that we were sort of sandwiching her in a half-hug. Her happy tone didn't change. "But also, you shouldn't be arguing over something so irrelevant. I thought you guys were childhood friends, but you fight like you're siblings."

We looked at each other at her wording. The fact that she related us to siblings was almost too ironic to believe. But then looking at the brunette's face, I noticed something that I didn't think that the Warrior of Wind did, something that I almost missed, had I been just a wee bit more distracted. I couldn't say it amused me or anything relating; it just stuck in my mind and realized that maybe I had to get a little bit more intuitive. The sight of him made me break out into the smallest of smiles, leaving him with a bit of confusion as to why my expression had suddenly changed. Things were going to go well for that boy, I knew, after we get through the trials of the Digital World and defeated Cherubimon. For the first time in God knows when, I could truly be happy for him. _I think I misread him before. But that's all right. He'll be happier this way…_

"Okay, this is getting awkward, so moment's over; let's go." I pushed myself out of the Italian girl's embrace and began to move on again. My eyes transfixed on our destination ahead. In the sky shades of purples and reds swirled downwards, spiraling within the corrupted darkness. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought that it actually looked quite beautiful.

We came to a break in the two funneling cliffs and it opened to a vast, barren area just past a drop-off. In the center of it all, was a structure unlike any that I had encountered before. It protruded from almost nothing, shaped upward from a narrow stem-like structure, flaring out like a flower to make a bowl-shape. Rising up from the center of the bowl was an abnormally-designed tower hued in a vibrant red, topped off by strange plate-like panels that fanned out slightly.

All around the formation were rocks floating about, suspended by a force I knew not of. They dotted the air around it, moving about as if in slow motion.

"This is..." Takuya's voice emerged from just behind me, and when I glanced back only just barely out of the corner of my eye, I saw he had that stern, leader-look on his face that he was ever-so good at making. "...where Ophanimon is?"

Thrusting my hands into my pockets, I looked the area up and down, trying to make heads or tails of this place. It definitely seemed like a place that Cherubimon would have as his home base. "Ya know, no one ever clued me in on what the Rose Morning Star actually is..." _It's only been a gazillion chapters since I first heard about it..._

Without warning, the Warrior of Flame's D-Tector made a sound similar to that of someone adjusting the tuner of a CB radio to find a desirable station and after he pulled it from his pocket, the symbol of Ophanimon became visible on the screen and the Celestial's voice rang out, her voice soothing and full of confidence, "All of you have done well to reach here. You are here with the Spirits of the Twelve Legendary Warriors, so Cherubimon can be..."

"Cherubimon's here?" Koji's eyes grew wide at the sound of the corrupted Digimon's name and I watched as his whole body went completely rigid.

Ophanimon's voice remained completely calm, making me wonder if she really had as much faith in us as she sounded like she did. A little voice inside me that she truly did believe in us to complete her tasks. "That's right. Cherubimon is here." At that moment, several long streams of Fractal Code rose to the top of the tower from various locations in the Digital World. "Digital...data..." Static overtook her voice and the connection was interrupted.

"Ophanimon!" Takuya began to press all of the buttons of his Digivice frantically, trying to retain the link, but it was all in vain. "...she's gone." His eyes moved upward towards where the Data was going. "That Data... It must be all that his Warriors have obtained for him until now."

"What does he want all that Data for?" When Zoe spoke and my gaze turned towards her, I couldn't help think about the injury the illusion of Cherubimon gave her and how it ruined her hat that all-too well played a part in defining her. Looking at her, her little, lavender, cat-ear hat long-abandoned, it just seemed that a part of her was now missing.

Tommy looked downward at his shoes and suggested Koichi might know, causing JP to pipe up and say to Koji, "Hey, Koji, your brother was on the dark side, ask him what gives!"

At his wording, I turned and gave the Warrior of Thunder a hard stare. _That was so uncalled for..._ I furrowed my brows and my voice came out hard to defend the oldest twin, who was only staring back at us as if he had only heard his name, "You talk like he's not even here."

And to further support my words, one annoyed blonde approached him and gave him a hard jab to the stomach with her elbow, causing his face to contort and a wimper escape his mouth, but the girl would have none of it, "Now, that was subtle, Palazzo. You ever thought of becoming a diplomat?"

I turned away to see Koji approach his brother, and the boy answer, despite how rudely an answer was demanded of him, "I'm sorry. All I know is that Cherubimon is gathering a lot of Data. I have no idea why, though." He frowned at his own shortcoming and lack of knowledge.

Takuya approached the boy and slung his arm around his shoulder in a chummy sort of way. "No worries, buddy! At any rate, we should take this chance to find Ophanimon and save her!"

I gave him a disbelieving expression, crossing my arms across my chest, skeptical of his statement. _Take this chance? It's almost like saying, "Let's use this convenient opportunity as we pass through!"_ I huffed before I started my objection to the way he put all of his words together, "Nice sentiment and all, Takuya, but how do you suppose we get up there and rescue her unnoticed? For all we know, Cherubimon could already know that we're here standing practically at his doorstep."

"We'll have to catch him off-guard, when his defenses are down. That's the only thing we can hope for. Although there will probably be traps along the way."

Neemon was the main one to react to his statement, his eyes bulging like cake dishes. "TRAPS?" _Apparently Neemon doesn't like the sound of that... _He looked to Bokomon. "I'm too young to be caught in a trap! They want the big bunnies for dinner, not me!"

"Up until now, Takuya and the others have surmounted all of the obstacles they've faced," Bokomon responded, glenching his paws and looking like he knew exactly what he was talking about, as if we were true Warriors all along and not clueless idiots that wandered around lost in the beginning, "I don't believe there is any trap here that they won't be able to handle." His face suddenly lit up and his eyes glittered worse than Edward Cullen's face, "Isn't that right, my dear Takuya?"

In response, Takuya looked discouraged and even a little scared, his voice confirming what I read on his face, "Er... I think we should give up..."

The Digimon instantly stopped his sparkling and his eyes shrunk down to itty bitty dots.

The Inheritor of Flame laughed, grinning in his goggle-headed manner. "Gotchya!" (That pretty much scared the crap out of Bokomon) He then got his game face on, pumping his fists. His brown eyes were consumed with a raging fire. "Let's do this!"

All of the Legendary Warriors around me withdrew their D-Tectors and this drove me to do the same. I curled my fingers around the cold metal and looking down at the Digivice colored silver and burgundy, I pressed the side button to activate the scanner. A ring of Data appeared around my other hand, its brilliant blue hue shining, and I slid it along the top of my Digivice. "Execute! Spirit Evolution!"

It had been so long since I had taken on the form of my Human Spirit that I had almost forgotten what it felt like. It was irreplaceable, that feeling of power surging through me that only my Human form could provide, so unique to that of my Beast and Polymerization. Each gave me a sense of control, but all ever-so different from each other. "Gryphanimon!"

All of us taking on Human forms, we began our ascent towards the Rose Morning Star, silent of mouth as we went. _This is it_, was my first thought, _beat Cherubimon and we can go home. Finally, after all of this time. We came so far and have gone through so much; I almost can't believe this will be our final battle._ From under the metal plate that covered my mouth, I involuntarily let a satisfied smile break out onto my lips.

My feathered wings pushed me upward past one of the large floating rocks just as Lobomon leapt up to it. We locked eyes and neither one of us said a thing, merely for the reason there was nothing to be said. But then he opened his mouth and his eyes grew bigger, only for me to turn to look at what he was staring at and then—

BAM!

"Okay, who the hell put that rock there?" I rubbed my head where a new bump was located while taking the time to give each of the Warriors individually-designed glares, even though under it all I was consumed in embarrassment. Because of the fact that I just bashed right into the side of a rock that I probably would've been able to see from a mile away, they all could've easily figured out I had been busy looking at one sexy Warrior of Light.

...Guilty as charged.

I heard Agunimon yowling, he was laughing so hard. I wanted to punch his lights out; he knew _exactly_ what just happened there, and he wasn't afraid to fully acknowledge it. Tears were streaming out of his face and he was rendered immobile because of his current state of mind.

Standing still in mid-air, my wings keeping me uplifted, I crossed my arms and scowled. "If you're about done, can we go?" My body under all of the armor felt warm and claustrophobic, closing in on me more and more with every moment of silence, and my temper went up hand-in-hand with my consuming feeling of discomfort. It didn't help when he merely daintily wiped his eyes, and spurts of laughter continued with their escaping. "Taku_ya_!"

Apparently he caught the whininess in my tone as soon as I did and didn't hesitate to call me out on it. "Mi_rai_!" He showed me a grin, taunting me for my momentary childishness, and I just narrowed my eyes at him before continuing my flight up to the bowl of the Rose Morning Star.

We came to the area, which turned out to be fairly flat, and there was a single, tall door standing alone in the middle of the emptiness. It was an intricately-designed door with designs that had meanings I couldn't understand, like one would find at a highly-esteemed courthouse or an old, Roman Catholic church. To golden, Roman-style pillars accompanied the wood door on either side, leading up to elegant trim above in the shape of an arch.

_What the hell is this doing here?_ I wondered initially. But then a twinge in the back of my mind, maybe it was my Spirit of Time talking to me, told me to be ready for anything to come out and greet us with bared teeth. After all, it was just a random door in the middle of nowhere in enemy territory, blocking our way to the Cherubimon's lair. It wouldn't take an idiot to figure out that it wasn't just there for decoration and to make the barren land look pretty.

We stood before the door, gazing up at it. It had to be easily forty feet tall, probably a lot more. Agunimon grew close to it, his blue eyes going up and down it in his inspection of it, questioning, "Is this the entrance to the castle?"

Beetlemon, Kazemon, and Kumamon walked to the other side, and found it to be the same as on the side the rest of us were on, made obvious by their comments upon it. "But this gate... it's not even a proper gate," Beetlemon noted, moving back to our side of the gate.

As they joined us again, I stared hard at the area just above the gate, trying to see a distortion in the space where we might be missing something. Folding my arms across my chest, I wheezed in slight annoyance, "And if this isn't it, where would the real entrance be?" I nibbled on my bottom lip, pinching my eyelids together to try to squint, looking for some sort of details that we might've missed. "It doesn't make any sense to me..."

In a flash, two red capes suspended in air appeared from absolute nothingness, and from them, two weighted chains were thrown in our direction. The weights had several spikes protruding and a wide, open eye imprinted onto the surface where it was smooth. The capes turned out to be cloaks sported by two ghost-like Digimon that bore high resemblance to the Grim Reaper with their phantom appearance and golden-colored sickles.

"Your souls..." one of them began, and as neither one possessed a mouth, I couldn't determine which one was speaking. Both sets of eyes were staring at us, a cold, icy blue brought out of the complete darkness made by their hoods draped over their heads. "...will be torn to shreds!"

"Those are Phantomon!" Bokomon exclaimed in alarm, pointing at them with a shaking paw. His eyes were wide and round, filled with so many things that I couldn't identify from the distance away he was from me. "They're the Digimon Shinigami!" _So they are like the Grim Reaper... Digimon Shinigami...The Digimon gods of Death... _"They can hold spirits captive in the pendants around their necks, and they can see through dying creatures!"

One lunged forward with its scythe in the ready, held back in preparation to strike. It's blade shimmered in the light, and I could see my reflection within it. "Shadow Scythe!" He sliced at Agunimon's face, but was too slow in motion, as the Flame Warrior merely had to take a step back to avoid getting his head chopped clean off his shoulders.

He averted his direction of attack and his next swipe knocked Beetlemon clean off his feet and onto his back. Phantomon tried to approach and give a finishing move, and in instant reflex, Lobomon and I took up the space in between them and occupied it to protect the Thunder Inheritor, my fellow Warrior of Light drawing out his Lobo Kendo, and I held the plate on my arm secure with my opposite hand as if holding a pistol, ready to fire.

I could see him just out of the corner of my peripheral vision, poised, and the light from his sword crackling like electricity. It reflected in his intense, crimson eyes as they locked onto Phantomon's form, following it around while making some sort of strategy.

Everything happened so fast, I almost missed his nod to me as he charged the Phantomon with the skill of an experienced swordsman. His sword followed through smoothly with the motions he willed, but it was as though the ghost had teleported just as the sword was about to slice through him. I took this as my chance, and when it had reappeared, fired a Tempest Arrow at my target. It just narrowly missed, and I cussed hard in my frustration.

From behind me somewhere that I wasn't sure of, a black and piercing yellow beam shot past me, which I recognized as Löwemon's Shadow Meteor attack, and came closer to hitting the Grim Reaper Digimon than I had, but still his attack was just barely off, because as it turned out, our foe was faster than our attacks. There had to be something that could hit them and do damage, but so far, our attacks weren't making that idea seem very likely.

I turned to look at the lion Warrior and gave him a thumbs-up, realizing a smile wouldn't be seen with my mouth guard. I made a consolation. Even though we couldn't hit the little devils, we could still keep them away and prevent them from gaining time to attack us back.

My vision veered over to where the others were fighting the other Phantomon. They, too, despite their array of attacks coming from every direction and of various Elements, were of no use against it and its unmatchable speed. It wasn't progressing at all in the way that probably any of us had originally assumed when first taking them on. This seemed like a battle that just might go on forever with the only thing accomplished being exhaustion.

The two Phantomon met together just above the door and stared down at us like we were something pleasing to the eye to eat as their next meal. I happened to randomly notice without real reasoning that the symbol emblazoned on the doorway just behind where they were levitating looked a lot like the symbol marked on the front of one of Sakkakumon's orbs. _The Crest of Light_, my Spirit told me from within the very back of my mind.

Then they disappeared into nothingness once again, the area grew too thick of silent for it to bring me any comfort whatsoever. My eyes scanned around hastily, desperately trying to sense some sort of movement with the instincts that my Spirit provided me with. I was ready with my Tempest Arrow again, as that attack having the ability to immobilize the target momentarily in the bounds of Time, it would give us a slight advantage if I was accurate.

"Be careful, everyone!" Bokomon called from afar, his voice sounding worried, even though he wasn't engaged in the battle. "Their mantles will transport you to another dimension of the Digital World!" _What does he mean by that? Their necklaces?_

We spread out into a circle to spot out all angles, Lobomon poised on my left, Agunimon on my right, and before me was the gate. I didn't feel safe with my back turned towards the openness, so with my back pressed to the door, maybe not a completely wise move, I remained on my guard. If they were both to approach me, I knew with a hint of confidence, I could hit them with my attack point blank, even if there were no Warriors present to assist me.

But then Beetlemon disappeared. I wasn't sure what was happening until it did, a red cloak encasing him and suddenly he was just gone. And in less than a second later, so was Kazemon, in the exact same manner. There was no escape. She hardly had enough time to exclaim her fellow Warrior's name before she suffered the same fate. Kumamon was gone an instant later, not a single sound being able to escape from his mouth before he was taken.

Agunimon approached me, on the edge of his emotions. His eyes were burning with flames fiercer than his Element could provide him with, and his fist was clenched with a blaze flaring up to his wrist. "We have to attack them!" He ground his teeth, his gaze moving around to the few of us who were remaining, Lobomon, Löwemon, and I. "It's the only way we can—"

In that instant, he was gone.

"_Takuya!_" I was consumed in my anger and sprang from my self-assigned post. "Show yourselves!" I shot my attack madly about, keeping from attacking the twins, but rather unconcerned with the direction of which I fired as long as my ambitions resorted in hitting one of the Phantomon. _They will pay. They will _die_..._

"Get down!"

I was shoved down to the ground, caught severely off-guard from being thrust off my feet, and one of my attacks blindly shot off into the darkness. Pivoting my body and craning my head around to scan the situation's progression, aching slightly from the unsuspected move, I caught sight of Lobomon towering over me for that split-second, which felt more like the single blink of an eye, before he was taken away by the Phantomon.

It took me a millisecond to get back up to my feet, engulfed in my emotions. I had almost forgotten to get back onto my guard with the thoughts in my mind distracting me. _He saved me. He let them take him instead of me..._ Breaths came out short and choppy as I tried to regain the composure that was running away from my outstretched fingertips. I couldn't put how I was feeling into words. A loathing grasped my throat and threatened to choke me. "Come here and meet your Fate!" I screeched, forgetting the world around me and closing my wings around me like an unbreakable barrier. Heat encased me and I let out a scream that ripped my windpipe into pieces. "Burning Oras!"

"Mirai, get a hold of yourself!"

_That voice…_Nii-san_! My _nii-san_!_ I flared out my wings and the flames that devoured the area tapered down. My breath came out raspy and my eyes felt dilated. I looked around. _Where is my _nii-san_? I know I heard him. He was here, I'm certain of it._ My gaze fell upon Lӧwemon, the only living entity in my sight, and I began to doubt my thoughts. _Did I just think I heard my _nii-san_, but really it was Lӧwemon in reality? He sounded…just like him… And if it was just Lӧwemon, how did his voice make it all go away?_

I scanned around, searching for the bodies of the Phantomon. I saw nothing. Nothing but the Warrior of Darkness positioned with his shield facing me, having blocked the intensity of my uncontrolled attack. _I just—it would've… _"Koichi, I—" My eyes caught sight of the flaring of a cloak and I shot a Tempest Arrow, again another miss. They were merely playing with us. "—it's my fault! I'm sorry, Koichi!"

From nowhere, a Phantomon's voice rang, taunting us with how far they've gotten when we were just running scared, "Foolish children. Once they have entered these crystals…" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the flash of one of the orbs suspended on a golden chain. "They can never escape it a second time." Then, the ghost Digimon's voice seemed to come from all angles, like it was moving about our heads in the manner of a persistent fly. "And so…they die."

"Gryphanimon." Lӧwemon's voice saying my Spirit's name drew my eyes to him and my silence allowed him to continue without missing a beat. "They have to have some sort of weakness. We're defenseless without a way to detect their locations."

I nodded in agreement. "There has to be something…" My instincts kicked in, acting without my compliance, and my body lunged, one leg stretched and arced in a mastered motion. In the nothingness, the arch of my pawed foot connected with something solid. To my surprise, the scythe of one of the Phantomon materialized and was sent spiraling off near the gate, the blade cutting through the earth and sticking into place. At my uncontrolled action, I broke out a small smile. _Thank you, Spirit._

"Don't be cocky just yet, little Warrior of Time."

My heels spun me around, but there was nothing to see. I had gotten out of sync with my Spirit instincts. I felt the force of a Shadow Scythe slash across my chest, cutting through my armor. I was knocked off my feet and onto my back. A stinging feeling was spreading throughout my body like a disease, and it felt like something inside of me was shattering. "W-what the hell?" I clutched my chest and could do nothing but release my Spirit Evolved form, returning to human state. It eased some of my pain, but my insides felt like they were being ripped apart.

"Mirai!" Lӧwemon approached me quickly, his voice sounding detached as if his mind was somewhere else. "What happened?" His knees were bent and his body followed their poise, ready for some sort unsuspecting attack from any given angle.

My mind made me see everything with distortion and my focus kept being deterred. I couldn't tell what direction I was actually looking anymore. "I—I'm not sure. One of the attacks hit me, but that's as far as I know." My nails clawed into my chest, trying to stop whatever was going on inside me that was ever-so disorienting. I squeezed my eyes shut, mustering up whatever control I had left, and when I opened them again, only one thing appeared in my vision. "...wait." Dragging myself up to a crouch, feeling dazed, I told the Warrior beside me, "Do something to keep them away from me…I—I think I have something." I allowed my eyes to do the rest of the talking.

He stared at me for what felt like forever, but must've only been a split-second in reality, as in an instant, he was Slide Evolving to JӓgerLӧwemon. "Ebony Blast!" The pistons in his back recoiled time after time, and he sent bursts of Dark energy in every direction. His crimson eyes shined back at me, giving me the a-okay to do whatever I had in mind.

_Hopefully this works…_ I staggered up to my feet and ran to Phantomon's abandoned sickle. I pulled it from the ground and grasped it tight with both hands. _Spirits of Time, give me strength. Please, I'm begging you._ "Spirit, you better have pointed this out to me for a reason!" I yelled through clenched teeth, sweat streaming down from my forehead, extending my arms back at my side and thrusting the blade into the air. It spiraled wildly, accelerating with a velocity I never provided it with and curving in an upward angle at an abnormal degree, and the tip slammed into the Crest of Light above the door, shattering the design into millions of pieces of stone.

A blaze of light escaped from where the Crest once was etched, spreading throughout the entire area like a sharp razor of energy more intense than what I lighthouse could provide. The two Digimon Shinigami that once were unseen now appeared in full form, one lacking the scythe that I had used for its unveiling from cloaking. The orbs suspended on the golden chains around their necks gleamed in the light, and I thought for certain I saw silhouettes held inside them.

I ached more than before, my arms now strained from the weight of the blade, but I refused to let that shut me up. After all, I was one of those stubborn DigiDestined kids. "Lӧwemon, now!"

He grasped his spear with both hands the instant it materialized and charged forth, spinning it like a baton. "Shadow Lance!" He moved with such momentum that not one muscle could move within my body as he thrust the tip of the blade through both Phantomon, piercing through both enmities as if they were made of paper. They were enveloped with complete, solid blackness as their Fractal Codes appeared around their bodies. I heard the sound of their amulets shattering, and accompanied with that sound, the Warriors once captive inside them emerged. As did a small, contented smile on my face. _Thank you, Spirits…_

"The evil that fills your heart…" The Warrior of Darkness's lance disappeared and was replaced with his D-Tector. "…will be buried and laid to rest in my Darkness." He flicked his wrist and swiped it along their Fractal Code. "This Digivice will purify you." Sparks began to shoot from the scanner and the Data was entering the device. "Fractal Code! Digitize!" In mere moments, their bodies disintegrated and the two DigiEggs that took their place floated off to where they belonged.

My pain instantly dissipating as they Digimon were purified, I deemed this moment worthy of a pump of my fist. "Yeah! You got 'em, Lӧwemon!" _Nice stabbing. You'll make a fine assassin one day…_ was my initial thought.

I tried not to feel awkward as I stood with the Human Warriors, being in my un-Evolved form, but my consolation was that I was still taller than Kumamon. They didn't seem to notice my slight discomfort, caught up with the Warrior of Darkness and his most recent victory. The lion Warrior kept his deep eyes upon Lobomon as the wolf let out his simple words, his face solemn and seemingly lacking the sentiment that his words were offering, "Thanks, Koichi."

As the Darkness Inheritor gave a single nod, the doors of the gate gave the sound of someone unlocking them and some force caused them to swing open. Feeling up to my full strength once again, I Spirit Evolved back into my Human form, and we went onwards through the open gate, the doors swinging silently shut behind us.

* * *

"I can't see me stalking nobody but you for all your life! When you're with me, baby, the skies will be blue for all my life! I call you up at two a.m. I wake you up, and hang up the phone, and do it again! Haha, that's what you get for going out with other men! So happy toge—!"

"Agunimon, will you SHUT UP?!" I snapped, trying so hard not to blast him with one of my attacks, as we were currently climbing an endless spiraling staircase that went up the tower and so if I happened to unleash an attack, it might just destroy the stairs... and possibly us. "It's as if every single moment that no one is talking, you have to sing something stupid!" I was mentally pinching the bridge of my nose and shaking my head, and I would've physically if it had been worth the effort.

"Oh, but it's just so good!" I could hear the sheer Takuya-ness captured within his voice, and for a single moment, I forgot that he was a Legendary Warrior.

A groan escaped my mouth. "I don't care!"

Moments after my words fell out, we came to the top of the steps. It opened through a wide doorway into a strange room. Everywhere there were stairs, leading in all directions, hued with a deep purple color that matched how the sky had appeared from outside. Floating about were peculiar window-like panels, glossed over by a texture that had the colors of Fractal Code. And from seeing this, for once the Flame Inheritor asked the right thing that everyone else was probably thinking, "What in the world is this place?!"

And if one of us had to be smart, the other one had a right to be sort of deranged with a response. That, this time, was me. "It looks to me like a funhouse that lacks all the fun!" Instantly, I went over what I just said and realized that it didn't really make much sense. "Wait, a funhouse without the fun is just a house…and this _is_ not just a house."

"Well, kudos to the decorator for at least being original," Beetlemon stated as we walking through the weird room without a particular direction in mind. "The only place you can find a room like this is in the Digital World. Make something like this in the real world and people would think you're psycho. Kids would spread rumors of you and your house and dare each other to go inside. And when that first foolish child turns your doorknob..." He broke out into maniacal laughter and the rest of us either facepalmed, groaned, or both.

Kazemon shook her head, her gloved hands placed on her hips as she muttered, "Some boys…"

From every nonexistent corner of the room came an unfamiliar roar, echoing about against invisible walls. A window floated about before us and a dark silhouette with crimson eyes appeared, outstretching one clawed hand out toward us. It cried out and we slunk back out of its reach. It looked like an abnormal, unnatural evil, a corrupted form that once held goodness and pure emotions, and then its being was twisted about into something inhumane and black-hearted.

All at once, all of the windows revealed the beasts inside, and they all reached out towards us. Upon gazing at their forms, I realized that they were all different. _They're all different types of Digimon…all tainted by the hands of evil…_ I drew my eyelids closer together and made a frown. Even though I knew we were heading into the lair of our sole enemy, for whatever reason I hadn't anticipated there would be so much foul emotion here, captured within the hearts of those deemed worthy of malevolence.

"Why are they here?" I wondered aloud, my mind continuing my brooding, _They appear to be captured beyond their will—and with the darkness inside them, this is the only way they can beg for freedom. If there was something we could do to help them, something to liberate them from their captivity…_

A distinct, ear-piercing gonging interrupted my thoughts. It quelled the trapped deities, and they drew back their arms and again receded back into the depths where they had come.

"Whatever that is, it stopped them," Agunimon noted, but still holding a semi-combatant pose for the possibility for a threat still existing. His crystalline blue eyes scanned about for the source of the sound, but like the rest of us, saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"I believe it's called a bell, _buddy_," I retorted with a little bit of self-satisfaction dancing in my tone, using his own term against him and giving him a smug expression written in my eyes. "It sounds like a church bell, but there's nothing here that could produce that sound, unless there was a bell tower that we never saw when we were outside."

A voice proceeded the bell tolls, coming out clear as if the owner of it was standing right beside us, "This is the Hall of Shadows. All those that have fallen prey to Cherubimon's treachery are locked forever within." From seemingly nothingness, a figure began to emerge, of whom I figured was the one that was speaking. "Their wills are only present with the desire for freedom, and intertwined with the tainted emotions of Cherubimon, they have no boundaries, aside from the physical prisons they're perpetually encased within, when their yearning takes hold into greed." _If I said that made any sense, I'd be a total liar. Why does everyone here have to speak in code?_

Agunimon spun around to face the on-coming stranger, his cautiousness of the identity revealed easily in his voice, "And just who are you?!"

"My name is Oryxmon; I am not your enemy." His tone became clearer when he drew closer, as did his appearance. He was a goat Digimon that stood much taller than us in our Human Spirit forms, possessing the bell that we had heard around his neck just below the gorget around his neck that was inscribed with coils of the Digimon language. Covering some of the bell with its length was a long beard that extended down from a blunt chin set upon a solid face mostly concealed by a metal plate. Golden-colored horns curved back from behind the plate, and deep eyes stared at us filled with what seemed to be recognition as he continued his words, "Cherubimon's castle is a deadly labyrinth filled with pitfalls and traps, but I can lead you safely to Lady Ophanimon."

The Warrior of Flame looked back at the rest of us, his face contorted with feelings of suspicion towards the newcomer. "What do you think?" was all he asked, but it was enough for all of us to know what he was speaking about.

"I don't know," Lobomon spoke, saying exactly what I probably would've, "I don't know if we can trust this guy." His red eyes were filled with so many things that I couldn't decipher in such a short time, and just by taking a single glimpse of the Warrior of Light, I could see that he had much on his mind. "After all, why would someone that claims to be on our side be here of all places?" He turned his head, interrupting me and my task of reading his face.

Agunimon averted his gaze off of us and back to the Digimon standing before us. "Tell us! What proof do you have that we can trust you?!"

Oryxmon remained silent, his face unchanging and his eyes unblinking. _He has no way to prove he's fighting for us…_ The silence pacing about us, its heels tapping against the invisible floor with each step, raised its voice to a thick, unnerving note. It took its time, running its fingers down the cheeks of each of us, and all we could do was stare past its distracting form at the Digimon before us, who was unaffected by the intrusiveness of the silence. He wasn't even fazed—despite that the rest of us were staring and questioning the scene that our eyes were telling us we were indeed seeing—when Patamon, that crazy little orange daredevil, just merely laughed, flew over to him, and plopped himself down on the goat's head.

"Well…if that's not suicide, I don't know what is," I muttered, noting the little pre-Celestial's shot in the dark about Oryxmon's allegiance. _But then again,_ my intuition seemed to add, _he did in fact hold a lot of authority and knowledge in his past life. Maybe he personally knows this guy. There's really no way of confirming this, though…_ "But I guess we have no choices but to either trust Oryxmon or climb on his head and retrieve Patamon, but I personally really don't feel like doing that."

Everyone just looked at me for my statement, namely the last part, but no one said anything regarding it. I didn't make eye contact with any of them, for the reasoning I might get involved with a conversation that involved how dumb my words were, and so I looked up at the Digimon that towered above us, remarking, "Well, lead the way, Goatie Man!"

As he turned to lead us, I heard a distinct groan escape his mouth, and instantly, I knew he didn't appreciate me very much. But nonetheless, he took us out of the room, and as soon as we got out of its doorway, we found ourselves running up a staircase…that was tipped as is if we were running on the wall… _How…interesting…_ The gravity didn't affect us, even as it began to spiral and we were running a course a lot like a rollercoaster track, the only thing deterring us is the slight nausea of the path's twisting.

And then there was the blinding sensation of the room at the top of the steps. The walls seemed to be made of multi-colored crystal that casted hues of the entire spectrum, a big change from the room previous, and light reflected from every square inch, casting away all shadows from every nook and cranny. Only after Oryxmon said that Ophanimon was being held captive in a sphere above us did I realize that there was indeed another being inside this room aside from us, and it seemed that all beams of light pointed up to her.

"You made it. The Legendary Warriors have returned once again. It fills my heart with such joy and warmth to see your faces." The imprisoned Celestial's voice rang out like sweet-sounding chime. There was something about her voice, something new that I hadn't ever heard when she had contacted us through our D-Tectors. I couldn't place my fingers upon it, and even as Beetlemon and Kazemon summoned their attacks to try to break her free, it perplexed me. I yearned to hear her voice again, and when she spoke, I focused on the notes that played in her voice, "Thank you, Children. But please don't waste your powers and abilities on me; for I am not what you have come to save. There is a greater purpose for your presence here, but before you put your efforts into your task, it is required that you learn the reason why you have been beckoned here to the Digital World.

"Ages ago, in a time much like this one, there was a terrible war that nearly destroyed this world. A fierce battle raged between the Human and Beast Digimon, the two rival clans that sought dominance over the other. In the midst of their battle, Lucemon appeared and ceased the fighting, bringing peace to this world and ruling it with wisdom that was filled with equality and compassion.

"However, soon after, Lucemon grew mad, corrupt with the love of power, tormenting and oppressing all Digimon and eliminating all of the pure emotions he once held true. His heart had turned black, and all he sought was destruction. It was then that the Twelve Legendary Warriors rose up from the ashes of this burnt world, carrying the right of truth and light in their hearts, pure emotions that had been lost... Oh, how bravely they fought against Lucemon and the evil of his injustice, their only objective being the salvation of those suffering and afflicted, and after finally defeating him, the Twelve Warriors disappeared. From where they had left off, Cherubimon, Seraphimon, and I worked together to bring peace and harmony to the Digital World once more, keeping the tranquility that the Ancient Warriors sought to obtain."

"Hey! That's the same story that Seraphimon told us! Do I have déjà vu, or is this franchise addicted to repeating things to signal plot importance?" Neemon piped up, interrupting the whole solemnity that had overcome all of the Warriors.

Bokomon began to stretch the yellow rabbit's waistband, saying in the process, "You ninny! I can't believe you'd be so inconsiderate! Toei Animation works hard to—" We all cut in.

"BOKOMON!"

If Ophanimon was offended by the interruption, she didn't show it in any given way. Moreover, it didn't sound like she even noticed that anyone had filled the gap between her the two parts of her story. She went on, her voice still like crystal, "...But it wouldn't last. Seraphimon upheld our system of law and order, Cherubimon protected all of our knowledge and legends, and I fostered the appreciation of all life and love. And yet… it soon became obvious that Cherubimon's ideas and philosophies were quite different from ours…"

An image of Cherubimon, a variation of the dark, sinister once-Celestial that appeared in no way evil appeared in my mind. His eyes were full of tears, his voice clinging to feelings of desperation, as his words echoed around within my skull, "_To honor these simplicities is absurd! Law, order, _love_! This world is an untamed frontier—chaos is its natural state, but you Human-type Digimon can't understand this! In all chaos, there lies opportunity if you only open your hands to harness it!_" And in a flash, he was gone.

I faded back into reality the instant the Celestial above began to speak again, "Seraphimon and I decided to meet alone to try to find a way to reconcile our views with those of Cherubimon, but when Cherubimon found us talking together, he misunderstood our intentions. He thought we were trying to undermined him and subvert the beliefs he held."

Again I found myself trapped within my head, the pure, yet troubled Cherubimon the center of my vision. He sat upon a cliff, gazing upon the Rose Morning Star, its design in the sky swirling into its mystical shape, maybe for the first time. He looked so hurt, so lost, so emotions lost in his emotions. "_Seraphimon and his laws are only meant for the Human-type Digimon; his system of rule is unjust and narrow-minded. It's up to me to give the Beast-types a new system of order, and we shall prove to the Human-types that we demand more than parity…_" I could only watch as a dark shadow overcame his being and he cried out in a way that seemed so weak, so helpless, so vulnerable, so…so…

…so similar to me.

This was the first time I felt empathy towards that Digimon. I had misjudged just what had made him so wicked and heartless; really, he had a heart. He had been fighting for his kind. He was merely misunderstood, and he took the validations of his fellow Celestials' actions as an affronting of his own convictions. The laws of Seraphimon were misinterpreted by him as a way to stem the Beasts, and he was acting in impulse upon the offense. He wanted to defend his kind. Wasn't what all just leaders would do for their people?

Suddenly, this whole thing seemed so wrong to me. It seemed like all Cherubimon wanted to do was good, yet it was that spark of evil that had twisted him into the creature we were sent to fight. Where did this whole scenario suddenly fall apart? And _how_?

"Our world exploded into the chaos that Cherubimon desired. We were treated like traitors by his followers. He had convinced the Beast-types that we were the cause of all of their problems, leading them in an aggressive campaign against the Human-type Digimon, and he had become a monster steeped in evil." Ophanimon's words had the devastation of the newly-spawned war's flaring behind my eyes, the sounds and feelings of death and destruction pulling my senses into pieces.

I couldn't stop it; I couldn't shut my eyes and look away. It was all captured inside me. I didn't want to see the pain and the hurt that mutiny had caused—there was already too much of it that had gone on all around me. Yet somehow, this felt so much worse. It was as though I was merely a bystander; I knew I couldn't change what I saw—it was the past, it was the reason we were here, it was what that touch of evil had created—but still, something inside me stirred. It felt like a force deep down was awakening and opening my eyes even wider.

"_Seraphimon! From now on, I am the law of this world! And you—_" I could almost feel the energy of Cherubimon's Lightning Spear within my Memory Aura as it pierced through the chest of Seraphimon and I heard his scream of agony. "—_are nothing!_"

It felt as though I was floating above the scene, my feet above the ground, and I was peering down at Ophanimon holding her fellow Celestial's battered form. "_Seraphimon, no!_" A jolt went through me as she snapped her head up, her gaze burning right through me, to Cherubimon. I saw the tears seep down her cheeks from under the helmet that concealed her eyes. "_I will do whatever you ask of me, but please, I'm begging you! Please, spare his life!_"

The scene escaped from my mind like breath being stolen from me. My mouth opened and my voice came out before I had fully realized the words that I wanted to say, "He… he was corrupted because of his jealousy towards Seraphimon. Cherubimon loved Ophanimon, but he knew that Seraphimon's heart was bound closer to hers than his was… He wished to create conflict as a way to kill Seraphimon… so that Ophanimon would forget of her love for him and maybe accept Cherubimon…" My eyes turned slowly off of the place on the floor they were locked upon and moved over to seek Lobomon's face. His expression was as morose as mine was. "He declared injustice towards the Beasts for a reason to justify waging war…"

I looked up to where the Celestial was being held, and even though I couldn't see her, her image was imprinted in my mind from my visions. "And with your world in turmoil, you called for us in another world, hoping we would help." I thought back to that phone message, the one that inspired me to run from home in a desperation to find self-worth, and how far I had come since then. Since that day that I had decided I was going to fake my identity to somehow trick Fate. "You called it a game…a game to determine our futures…when really, it was a game to set Fate into balance."

"A Fate that wasn't set by Ophanimon…"

We all stiffened at the voice. We could hear him, but he was nowhere in sight. He was toying with us, just as everyone before us. _But only cowards hide from their enemies and joust cruel words from under cover, Cherubimon. Even _you_ should know that…_ "Do you think it was by my carelessness that the Legendary Warriors have gotten this far? Ophanimon, you were right by calling it a game. It is a game, but you weren't the one that created it. You were like my little puppet, doing things of my desire without your knowledge. I merely allowed them to get this far; the pawns that served me were deterrents. I was here the entire time, waiting to play a little game of my own when it's game over for them all…"

"What are you saying?" Ophanimon's voice had a droplet of fear. Of all of the occasions we had heard her voice, all those times she spurred us on by speaking of the next threats, the next challenges, there had never been any fear.

The corrupted Celestial let out a chortle. "The Twelve Legendary Warriors are here and within my grasp. When I combine them with the Data I have collected, total control of the Digital World will at last be mine. I'll have done what Seraphimon has always been afraid to do. And it is all thanks to you, my lady…" His form materialized from within the light. "You and these humans have brought my plan to fruition." His bright, yellow eyes grew narrower and his mouth curved into a smirk. "Let's end it…"

From all around us, my ears picked up something that sounded sort of like whispers. I couldn't define what they were saying, or if that was truly what they were, but it was like they were murmuring some sort of spell. And as they did so, the symbols of our respective Elements present on our armor began to glow.

The Warriors around me questioned the reasoning and all I could do was look to Cherubimon. He outstretched his arms and declared, "It has all come to this. Your Spirits will become mine and you children will be eliminated. Game over." He let out a roar and grabbed Oryxmon by his horns. He whipped his body around above his head, ignoring the cries of pain that came from the helpless Digimon's mouth. In fact, he seemed to receive pleasure at the sound.

"Stop! Why are you doing this?! Don't you realize Oryxmon's innocence?!" Agunimon snapped, his position revealing that he was close to lunging into the fray to fight Cherubimon. "How could you be so heartless?!"

At the words, Cherubimon merely smiled. "He has served his purpose. He has led you here to your doom, and his presence here is no longer welcome. He has outlived his welcome." Pursing his lips into a deeper smirk, he threw his arms down, slamming Oryxmon to the ground and disintegrating him into Data, shattering his DigiEgg into countless shards. As we only stared at the scene before us, his words came upon us like stepping on broken glass, "It amuses me that you are still taken aback by my brutality. Just goes to show that under your armor, you're all just pathetic children. But soon you will realize it is all for a greater cause. Your Spirits are what I desire, and I will use all the pawns I require to obtain them.

"And I was one of your pawns as well." Lӧwemon stepped forward, his feet silent when they contacted the floor in a rhythmic motion, his face turned up towards the once-Celestial. His crimson eyes were filled with such sentiment, most of which I couldn't even begin to identify. "You drove me to attack my brother—my twin brother—and twisted my reasoning to do so to make me think it was necessary! If anyone has outlived his welcome, it's you."

Cherubimon looked pleased that the Warrior once his follower was defying him to his face. "You were my most willing puppet, assuring that my bidding would be carried out, convinced that it was your duty. By using you, I made certain that all the Spirits would arrive here, both Human and Beast alike, all in a way that made you believe that it was by your own choice. Call it…disguised operation, if you will." He flexed his long, narrow fingers, appearing distracted.

This time I could hear the lion Warrior's footsteps as he pounded forward. "You manipulated me! You're nothing but a heartless, selfish devil with the only thing coming to you being a painful end! You're the one that is gonna receive game over!"

The dark angel Digimon let out a hard cackle, clearly entertained by Lӧwemon's threat. "Even though you turned against me in the end, you proved yourself to be the most valuable of my servants. Many had been bonded with the Spirits of Darkness before you, and those who failed the test were destroyed by its power, locked away in the depths of this castle that you have familiarized yourself with previously." _So is that what those creatures in the floating windows were? They were test subjects to receive the Spirits of Darkness?_

As he floated down to rest his feet on the crystal floor, the Darkness Inheritor placed his arms in an X-shape across his chest. "How would you like to see this power for yourself?" He growled and the area around him distorted. "Shadow Meteor!" The attack formed at the lion's mouth on his chest, but the beam that was released was noticeably thin and weak, allowing Cherubimon to easily block it by outstretching his palms toward it. "What happened to my attack power?"

I looked about and the answer came quickly. "It's the lack of Darkness here! There's nothing to absorb energy from because this room is filled with light!" When I was speaking, Cherubimon chuckled at my response and used the chance to grab Lӧwemon, demanding the return of his Spirits. I felt my anger welling up and I readied myself. "I won't let you hurt him, Cherubimon!" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Takuya and Koji De-Spirit Evolve and begin to Evolve into their Fusion Spirits. I didn't want to wait for them. "Strike of Thoth!" I darted forward, the claws on my armored feet, and leapt up.

I pivoted my body around, angling one leg to strike him, but even with the speed I possessed, it wasn't fast enough. His free hand swatted at me as if I was a pesky insect, and I felt myself thrown back. The sheer force shoved me into the wall and in an instant I felt the pain of crystal shards piercing through my armor and into my skin underneath. My mouth released a raspy cry and I tasted blood on my tongue. _Why…why do I still have blood? Avaruusmon had once told me it was because I willed it, but I thought that was passed… Do I still will flesh and blood over Data?_

As I watched BeoWolfmon and Aldamon spar against Cherubimon through burning eyes, Kazemon, Beetlemon, and Kumamon tried to assist me. My head was spinning around in circles and when I spat blood on the crystalline floor, it made multiple, crimson splatters that all looked exactly the same. My comrades were duplicated, so when they told me to try to support myself upon them, I didn't know who to reach for. Instead, I allowed my eyelids to create darkness all around me, and I murmured, "Just please…please, don't let go of me…"

Explosions rang in my ear, cusses from the two Fusion Warriors in combat resonated within my skull, Cherubimon's laughter haunted me in a wide-awake nightmare. I felt someone's grip on me disappear and someone call out Koichi's Human Spirit's name. _Yes…help Koichi…take care of him. Take care of him and Takuya and Koji…_ My eyes surprised me by snapping open. In a second, my voice told me why, "I can't make them do everything to protect the ones I love the most…"

I planted my feet hard on the ground, trying my hardest to ignore the dizziness that plagued me. Cherubimon had Aldamon. I would _not_ let that fly. De-Spirit Evolving, I retrieved my D-Tector from my pocket. "Execute! Polymerization Spirit Evolution!" My ambitions swirled and knitted themselves together with my potent power. All of the handicaps that I had sustained were diminished as soon as I felt the new energy flowing through my veins. "Ryoushinmon!"

I drew my Soul Sword from its sheath. It glowed brightly with the power manifested within its design. I charged forward, the sword set into place. My feet launched me upwards; my hands were placed skillfully on the hilt as if from years of practice, and brought it down at Cherubimon's wrist. The blade sliced through like his body was made of butter, the removed hand bursting into bits of Data and dropping Aldamon to the ground. I landed in a crouch next to him, my weapon held out horizontally before me, ready for another assault. "Are you okay, Aldamon?"

He glanced at me, a small smile etched on his face. "Yeah. Thanks, Ryoushinmon. I owe ya one."

"You owe me nothing, Takuya." My eyes veered back to the enemy before us, in a moment growing wide at what I saw. What I witnessed was Cherubimon cackling from the amusement he received from my petty attempt at damage and his hand beginning to regenerate at a rapid rate. I felt my heart suddenly drop like a ball of lead. "How…?" _Does he really have enough power to restore himself so easily? It seems just so impossible…_

We backed up to stand with BeoWolfmon as he let out the words, "Nothing works here."

My head turned towards him and then at Aldamon, neither one of them holding emotions on their battle-scarred faces as they gazed back at me. The Fusion Warrior of Flame saw my look of slight perplexity and responded, "I think it's the light. It throws all of our attacks off-course somehow and makes them totally useless." _That explains why I heard so much cussing… _"So I suggest that we take this battle outside! What do you say, BeoWolfmon?"

He got a half-grin on his face and replied with a hint of Takuya-like confidence, "I'm in." His irises were trained into mine, despite that mine weren't visible in my current Spirit form. "Ryoushinmon, I think you should stay here and find a way to rescue Ophanimon. We can hold Cherubimon off until you get her free." It was obvious what he was implying. His face said all of the words he didn't, "_Stay here, Mirai. This way, you'll stay safe. I don't want you to get hurt._"

I only nodded in compliance, and I watched as they both pounced forward, getting a grip on Cherubimon, and thrusting him and themselves through the wall into the outside world. My gaze remained on them until I could see them no more, and then turned to the other Warriors, saying, "Okay, guys. Let's get to work on Operation: Free Ophanimon." _Oh crap, I just went along to Takuya's stupid mission title. I am _not_ gonna tell him that…_

"How are we gonna get her free?" Kumamon questioned while he and the others gathered around to think up a sort of plan. His eyes were filled with hopefulness, a deep desire to find a way to succeed. After all, we had come so far for this one objective.

Bokomon looked about the room before suggesting as if the answer was as plain as day, "We need to bend the angle of those bars of light. That are what's making up the prison."

My fingers danced around the hilt of my sword while my mind swam around in a similar manner. "Wait." I took a moment to stare at where I had been thrown against the wall in combat. It hadn't retained the luster that it originally possessed. Moreover, it didn't produce or reflect any light. "If we just destroy the walls. That should prevent the light from reflecting up to the ceiling." I let a grin come across my face. "It's wall-breakin' time!"

All of the other Warriors let out a supportive cheer and we went to work. Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon decided to instruct us where to attack, and we complied with an eagerness that was more intensified with every passing moment. I slashed my sword at practically every inch of the mirror-like walls, the edge of the blade never beginning to dull. It was as though my Soul Sword knew just what we were fighting for and desired to help with our cause.

I looked up from my destruction-reeking just in time to see one very blonde moment spark from the Warrior of Wind when she decided to try to break the wall with a Love Tap and failed at it miserably. "Did you really just try to do damage by attacking the wall with your butt?"

She pouted at my rhetorical question and countered, "Asks the one that flew into a rock while staring at Koji." _Touché._ She saw my defeated frown and brought back a smile. "Okay, let's try this again." She backed away from the wall and became enveloped in Fractal Code. "Slide Evolution! Zephyrmon!" Her Beast appeared in the butterfly's place and I could feel a significant rise in strength just from the single change. "Hurricane Gale!" Razors of wind shot from the motions made by her hands, clearly more effective than her butt-assault, and shattered that portion of the wall into pieces. "That's more like it!" Triumph brewed in her bright blue eyes.

"It seems you only have one more place left that's holding Ophanimon's cage to the ceiling!" Bokomon called out to us, causing us all to look upward.

Before none of us could make a single movement, Cherubimon burst through the wall. He cast forth a dark gust that consumed Beetlemon, thrusting him to the floor and out of his Human form. Then another sort of blast of energy withdrew his D-Tector from his pocket and pulled it up into the dark Digimon's grasp. "At last, the Spirits of Thunder are mine." He looked at the Digivice with satisfaction for a mere moment before turning to Koichi and Tommy, who Slide Evolved into their Beast Spirits to better defend. "This should be interesting."

I made eye contact with Zephyrmon, who was checking on JP for injuries. "We have to free Ophanimon. JӓgerLӧwemon and Korikakumon are buying us time."

She nodded. "Right." And led the way to the top of the room, the power of Space allowing me levitation. The light was much more intense here than it ever was from on the floor, but I could still make out the Celestial's form encased within. The Beast of Wind looked at me, her eyes solemn. "We have to knock it down!" She put all of her weight into her tackle against the cage only to recoil back and cry out after making contact. "It seems like it's almost made of electricity."

The sounds from down below only distracted us from our objective. One attack from Cherubimon was all it took to deprive both Koichi and Tommy of their D-Tectors. Time was running short, and the corrupted Celestial turned his eyes up to us like we were nothing but prizes to him at the fair or something. His eyes glimmered with hatred and bloodlust. "Which one is next? It really doesn't matter, because both of your fates are the same."

I titled my head to one side, letting my form drop gracefully to the ground. My arms were dropped to my sides limply, not wishing to put up a combatant pose at the current moment. "I'm next." Allowing a distinct amount of curiosity come over my expression, I noted bluntly, "If only you were right." His expression changed slightly to something I didn't bother reading and I continued, "The fates of Zoe and I are not the same. I will not allow it."

He chortled at my words. "Oh, how far you have come in distance, but how little you've progressed in mentality, Warrior of Time. You believe that you have a hand in the result of things, that you have significant power to make a difference. I offered you time and again to join me, so that maybe you _can_ hold the ability to create change, but you have only been stubborn. When you refused, I created physical beings of the Spirits of Space with the evil that is contained within you, and toyed with you repeatedly after that for you to see the unique opportunity you were receiving. However…" His gaze flickered off from where he had come and then back to me in a flash. "…you had become too attached to that Warrior of Light to turn from him. Instead of the powers I was offering you, you had opened up your heart to hold onto that weak emotion that you foolish creatures call Love."

Crossing my arms across my chest, I took in his words. He wasn't lying, I knew that and I could confirm it simply. A sigh escaped my lips, "Oh, if only the love of power was overcome by the power of love. Only then would this world know what peace is…" I closed my eyes, huffed, and then opened them again. "You should know this well, Cherubimon. You sought love at first, but then with Seraphimon's fall into stasis, you were consumed with a greed for power." I inserted a taunting note into my voice when I continued, "Who, dare I ask? Who did you seek to obtain the affections of?"

An ear-splitting roar escaped from his mouth, shaking the ground under our feet. "You know nothing, Warrior of Time! You sought love from one being here that doesn't even belong in the Digital World and you play your mouth as if you know all! I will correct you of this error!" He created a long, dark lightning bolt within his hand and his fingers curled around it. It crackled and sizzled with the foul emotions he poured into its formation. "Lightning Spear!"

It was almost _simple_ to avoid the attack that was thrown at me. My words had gotten him frustrated for one primary reason, the truth that was contained in them. Spear after spear was thrown at me and I avoided them with graceful movements that came natural to my Polymerization Spirit, all the while my lips still moving, "I'm sorry I can't be perfect, but you know my words are true." I pivoted my body around, evading the attack by mere inches. From the lack of distance I could feel its intensity, its energy spurred from the foul emotions of the creator. "I'll admit it, Cherubimon, you're right. I was naïve, foolish, and cocky. I thought things really mattered as long as I had my teeth sunken into them, as long as I played God with every little situation."

I felt my bangs sliding across my cheek like smooth fingertips caressing me. I thought of all he had told me. "And I'll also admit that I had considered your offer. More than I'd like to say. Sometimes I'd lay awake, not only wary of your servants attacking while my defenses were lowered, but because your proposition was appealing to me and I caught myself considering it." An exasperated breath escaped me. "But you were exceedingly right when you say I became attached to Koji. If it weren't for him, I would've turned from the Legendary Warriors long ago."

A smirk snuck onto my face. "At least it worked out for _me_. Sorry, Cherubimon."

He snarled something illegible at me and reached out to take me in his fist, but at that moment, sparks showered from above and Ophanimon's elegant form floated down, taking a place in between us. Her hands were outstretched, reminding me instantly of how Seraphimon's Data was displayed when Mercurymon was using it to end Takuya within the church in Sakkakumon. "Cherubimon, this must stop! I won't let you lay a hand on this girl!"

He stopped his approach, his eyes widening at the being standing in all of her radiance before him. "Ophanimon, if you don't remove yourself and cease this meaningless defense of these worthless children, you will die beside them." Despite his words, he didn't seem even remotely facially-supportive of his threat to hurt her. _Even through all of the evil that taints him, he can't deny his feelings. He can't bring himself to destroy Ophanimon…_

The angel kept her head pointed up to him, her voice firm. "I care not what happens to me, just as long as these children are spared. I know they can help the Digimon—they can save the Digital World and restore it to how it once was. Nothing good can come from hurting innocent, blameless lives…" She put her hands back to her sides before continuing, her voice growing quiet, filled with sentiment, "I know you have been hurt, you were led astray by the torments of life, off the path of virtuousness, and I can help you, Cherubimon. But you just have to let me."

He leaned in as if he wished to see her face and scan it for the truthfulness hidden with her enmity. "You…you would do that…for me?" His eyes grew wide with surprise and a little bit of an emotion that made my heart a little warm that I knew so well.

Ophanimon allowed a smile to dance on her lips as she floated to him and placed her hands upon his head, causing a white light to erupt from her fingertips. "Of course. I would sacrifice anything for you. You are a dear friend and you have more than a worth to me."

Before she could do or say anything more, Cherubimon was enveloped in a dark haze that overtook his entire body, sending the elegant Celestial reeling back with a pained cry. He yelled out in a way that shattered all of the colorful mirrors around us and revealed the tainted color that they concealed. His eyes were daggers as he stared down at her form. "A friend! Your words would be severely different if I was Seraphimon! Friend would be the least of your words!"

Her face again became solemn, realizing the meaning of his words. A light formed in her palms and the Warriors' D-Tectors materialized. As she cast them to their rightful owners, a beam of radiance appearing on their screens when they returned to them, her voice carried, "I cannot choose where my heart wants to go…"

Everything suddenly went white, and in mere moments, we were outside. As soon as I realized Cherubimon was nowhere in sight, I De-Spirit Evolved and joined the group. A weight was lifted off of my being when I saw Koji and Takuya, unharmed aside from a few little cuts and bruises. I attempted to hold my peace about this for as long as I could muster. There was no need for me to be an emotional sap when no one else was being one.

"What the hell happened in there?" Takuya questioned, taking his D-Tector back from Zoe as Koji did the same. He turned it around in his fingers like he was trying to re-familiarize himself with its every curve and design. He stared hard at the screen, his eyes rigid.

"I'm not sure," the Italian girl responded, causing a few notes of agreement from a couple of the others to arise. She turned towards the place we once were. "But Ophanimon is still in there. She confronted Cherubimon and he didn't react well to her words…" Her emerald-hued eyes cast away and off to the side. Her expression was so glum; I couldn't begin to imagine what she was thinking about. There were so many things to be morose about here.

I took up a place standing next to Koji and let out what was on my mind, "He's been driven mad because of what started as mere jealousy for Seraphimon." My eyes, like Zoe's, went up to that tower where they were combating. The place reminded me of an upside down top that kids played with. "But it's come to this. I can hardly believe the same Cherubimon in there is the same one that fell for Ophanimon when the Digital World was still at peace…" It was then I suddenly realized just what the Warrior of Wind was so downcast about. This whole situation was just a twisted love story. She had the biggest heart out of anyone I knew; I could be certain that she had empathy for the Beast.

None of us were sure what exactly happened in that next moment, but without a warning, the tower burst with a crimson light. The sheer magnitude of the attack brought us down to our knees. Through the burning that the intensity cast upon my eyes, I made out Cherubimon above us, reeling back from the force. His cry of agony hurt my ears; not from the volume of which his voice escaped his mouth, but the emotions thrown into it.

I pulled myself back up to see him crash into a floating rock, shattering it into many smaller chunk, and fall onto a surface just below us. His fingers dug into the stone, holding on so he wouldn't fall into the darkness below. He struggled to keep his grasp and as he slipped more and more, I found myself unable to watch.

I cast my head away and fought to keep that image out of my head. _Why is this bothering me so much? Do I really feel this much compassion to someone that has ended so many lives?_ A familiar, friendly face materialized in my mind, his bright eyes bringing me no more questioning. _DemiVeemon…_ His words echoed within my mind, still imprinted in my memory like he had said them moments ago, "_I got the wrong impression of her, too, thinking that she didn't care, but it's the little things she did for our world that proves to me of her love for it!_" I imagined how he had looked at me when I held him in my arms, Fractal Code encompassing his small body. "_I remember a time… long time ago, Davis… He thought he had no friends… He was only concerned of himself and let others get hurt. He let me get hurt. He let everyone down by refusing to make a sacrifice he needed to. But in the end, he made the right choice and really earned the Crest of Friendship. I know you can earn your own Crest of Friendship, too. Just remember you really do have friends…_"

That was how it was. I developed bondage, made a relation between Cherubimon and I. I couldn't deny how much I cared for this world and the creatures in it. This creature just was dealt a bad hand by Fate; it didn't make him any less of a Digimon that belonged here. That, I realized, was why I had that feeling in the bottom of my stomach that he didn't deserve such an end. The fact came to me that he had mercilessly destroyed many innocent Digimon, but it still didn't erase the fact that he himself was also a Digimon. He possessed emotions and feelings like all of the others—after all, the root of all of this was a pure love he had felt towards someone that merely considered him a friend.

My head turned at the sound of Ophanimon's voice resonating from Takuya's D-Tector. He slid it out of his pocket as her voice rang to the ears of each one of us, "Children, I am sorry. I have failed to stop Cherubimon. He proved too strong; the evil that has taken over his heart is much more powerful than I had anticipated. I had hoped to purify him…" Her voice stuttered, showing just how weak she had become. "…but alas, I failed… Thank you for journeying so far and enduring so much. I am grateful to all of you for the courage you have displayed."

A roar coming from Cherubimon interrupted the transmission. A deeply-colored aura surrounded his figure as he began to pull himself up to safe ground. I heard Koichi's voice, but I didn't look away from the struggling Beast-type as he spoke, "Even with all of Ophanimon's strength, not even she could beat him. But then, how are _we_ supposed to?"

The angelic Celestial's voice cut through our feelings of negativity. "Children, I beg you, please don't lose hope! You must gather your Spirits together as one. Only then will you become truly unified… and with unity, great strength comes from buried deep within your hearts…"

Koji went to Takuya and faced him, his own D-Tector in his hand, trying to draw near to better hear her voice and maybe better comprehend what she was saying. "How do we do that?" he questioned, and as if the sound of his voice was a trigger, his and the Warrior of Flame's Digivices began to emit a multi-colored beam from their screens. Apparently he decided it was a good idea to add in a distinct mumble, "Oh, maybe that's how…"

"With the last of my strength, I evolved the two of your D-Tectors…" As her voice drew weaker with every word, the design of their devices changed in a flood of intense light. The ring around the screen was now round and the color schemes changed, Koji's from white and blue to a deeper blue and black, and Takuya's reversed, the body of it now red and the grips black. "And with this new power, I send you my best wishes and all my love…"

I peered at their new designs after Ophanimon's voice faded and JP, glancing at his own D-Tector, said in a grumble, "All of our D-Tectors are still the same? That's not very fair to the rest of us. I don't get it." He frowned, looking as though he was blaming his Digivice.

Even if he didn't even see my look, I gave him one anyway. One that consisted of my eyebrows furrowed and a nonchalant positioning of my lips. "JP, it's a known rule here in the Digimon world that the gogglehead and the loner always evolve further than all the others. Sad, but true." _Although I was given another Spirit so I'd have a role in this fanfic in this part and the readers don't get too bored…okay, I have to stop breaking the fourth wall now…_

"Lookie up to the sky!"

Patamon's sudden exclamation pulled us from our thoughts and our eyes up to where he was flying. The air tried to strangle me as I found myself watching Ophanimon's DigiEgg floating up from her grave. It disappeared into the horrid clouds above, out of sight, but a little voice inside me told me that that image was going to haunt me until all of this was over. Just watching what little remained of the being that called us here to the Digital World, the one that spurred us on battle after battle to get where we were, the one that had more faith in us than anyone else. If there was a god, a supreme being here, then Ophanimon must've been made from him.

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. _I'm not about to get emotional now. There comes a time when every emotion is due, and now is not the time for sorrow._ My teeth pressed into my bottom lip and I stepped over to Koji. His ocean-like eyes graced me with a look of tenderness and support as he interlaced his fingers with mine. I could feel his steady heartbeat through his hand and all of a sudden it felt like it was suddenly my own lifeline. _If he's remaining strong, then I should as well…_

"Ophanimon…" My eyes traced over to Takuya as he stared hard at his D-Tector. "I swear, your sacrifice will not be in vain…" He closed his eyes and grew silent a moment, as if he was wishing to speak to the fallen Celestial without his true words. When his eyes opened again, he looked to each of us, his mouth pressed into a straight line and his irises burning with purpose. "We can't waste any more time here. We have to figure out how to unlock this new power." _He has that air about him again; that air that gives off such drive. That leader-like instinct that just takes over when it needs to. He knows exactly when to take on that big brother role…_

My fingers grasped my own D-Tector and I looked down at it, scanning for something I hadn't noticed before, like a switch or button that I'd never used. "She said to gather our Spirits together. That—" I shook my Digivice near my ear and listened for a rattling sound. "—doesn't really help."

The gogglehead near me started clicking buttons on his new Digivice, his hero complex suddenly dissipating in his attempt of trying to figure things out. It wasn't really working, unless his intention was to cause a million different beeping noises all at once. "If anyone can figure it out, it's me! After all, I _am_ the Warrior of Flame!"

"Try the Warrior of Lame," I retorted flatly.

He ignored me and my pathetic excuse for an insult (I really could've come up with something more original), despite the fact that he certainly had heard me (hence the frown he suddenly had on his face). This whole can't-get-the-new-D-Tector-to-work situation had gotten him pretty frustrated in a rather short time. He huffed in exasperation and mumbled with a bit of irritation, "Man, a hint or something of some sort would've been nice. Or at least an instruction manual."

"Even if it _had_ come with an instruction manual, Takuya," I began, giving him a skeptical expression for his words, my voice causing him to look from the device in his hands to me, "You'd be the last one to read it. It's not like you have a personal library filled with educational books at your house that you read daily—unless you call manga and Marvel comics educational." _Besides, _my mind added,_ who actually _does_ read instruction manuals?_

A narrow-eyed expression was sent to me from his direction. "Let's stay on track here." His voice revealed he was sorta annoyed with all of the cheap shots I'd been taking on him. Honestly, I couldn't blame him, though. It must've been a rough life with people always giving him sarcastic remarks. But it wasn't our fault: He just made it so easy.

Then he took a breath, slow and relaxed. He looked to each of us and closed his eyes. "We all have to search inside ourselves for the answer. Ophanimon said unity comes from deep inside ourselves…" And with those words, the rest of us followed suit in his quiet state. "…Feel the strength buried within…" Our words came, connecting together as our thoughts unified into one solution.

"When power…"

"…and feelings…"

"…are one…"

"…we can…"

"…evolve…"

"…together..."

"That's it…"

I couldn't explain the things that I felt brewing inside of me. It was though I wasn't just holding Koji's hand through this, but I was holding everyone's hands. I could feel their presences near me, drawing close to my heart. _Thud-thud thud-thud…_ A sound resonated in my ears. Was that…their heartbeats? Was this strange, yet alluring feeling the cause of our unification? I was absorbed into this feeling—I was immediately addicted to the sweet, sweet warmth that it let off; it was like a drug.

My ears caught the sound of the other Warrior's voices. They were sending the Spirits they had acquired into Flame and Light, first Earth to Flame, then Water into Light, Wood to Flame, and Metal into the Light. I felt my body moving seemingly under some sort of control, my hands slipping out of Koji's. I could feel one heartbeat growing louder as my feet stepped without my permission. My voice came out quiet, without emotion, and I didn't know what was happening until my lips parted for words, "Space into Flame…"

Upon the roar of Cherubimon, everyone's eyes snapped open, roused as though none of what just happened was reality, but just some sort of dream. I looked to Takuya as his voice came out stern and without the faltering of doubt, "We possess all of the Spirits of the Legendary Warriors! With the power of our unity, nothing can stand in our way!" His D-Tector erupted with light, shooting like a lighthouse's beacon up into the dark, dark sky.

Koji took up my hand again, his fingers sliding in between mine before I had realized he had done so. His beautiful irises came on me and then flickered off, suddenly focused on the far distance. His brows were furrowed into an expression of full severity. "We've overcome everything so far—there's no way we can surrender now!" His grasp on my hand tightened and with his opposite, he raised his D-Tector into the air. It mimicked Takuya's, bursting with a beam of piercing light.

It was as though the instinct was engraved into our beings, the words being vocalized as if memorized previously by our subconscious. The rest of us, with our D-Tectors in the same way as Takuya and Koji's, followed an impulse written inside of each of us.

"Ice into Flame!"

"Wind into Flame!"

"Thunder into Light!"

"Time into Light!"

"Darkness into Light!"

I was pushed backwards at the energy released from Koji's D-Tector when he and Takuya activated their new evolutions, Data bursting in many coils around their hands. Their voices were synchronized, entranced by the power that had been awakened. "Execute! Unified Spirit Evolution!" The sheer intensity that was discharged from the activation was blinding. I could feel its power from how close I was to them in the midst of their transformation. It was beyond anything that I had ever felt—raw, yet controlled. It reminded me of my Fusion Evolution, but with so much more strength. Even though the cocoons of Fractal Code surrounded each of them, I knew something truly remarkable was taking place.

"EmperorGreymon!" Takuya's form was a tall, heavily-armored Warrior. His shoulders and knees were plated with the faces of dragons, as were the plates covering his fists. His face was rather small, three points protruding from either side and atop his head. His face was concealed and his bright eyes were deep-set. A long, double-edged sword was strapped to his back, and on several places on his armor were crosses emblazoned.

"MagnaGarurumon!" Koji's Spirit reminded me of a jackal. Except blue. He wasn't as heavily armored and had a much slimmer form. Firearms were held in each hand, one more laser gun-like and the other more like a machine gun, and barrels protruded from his shoulders for further weaponry. Two blade-like things jutted out from his back for a use that I wasn't certain of.

I smirked inevitably. "Dude, that is awesome…" I muttered, but my attention was caught by my own Digivice making a strange noise. My eyes drifted down to it and the screen was illuminated with the figure of Ryoushinmon's Spirit. _She's not part of the Twelve. She was only created by tapping into the powers of Space and Time. And since she's not a real Warrior…_ My gaze shot back up to the two Unified Warriors floating before me, my mouth slightly agape at my revelation. _…I can fight._

The instant feeling I got from my realization was a sense of worth. I could actually make up for those fights that I refused to partake in and live up to the Legendary Warrior name that I had once abused as though it had no meaning. "Yo! Guys!" The others turned to me at my sudden call and I let the copper-colored ring of Data appear around my hand. "Check it!" A very Takuya-like grin danced on my lips when I received looks that were a mixture of surprise and confidence.

My finger pressed the button to activate the scanner. It skit across the Data— "Execute! Polymerization Spirit Evolution!" —and the coils extended and surrounded me. My thoughts circled around one factor as I was empowered with the strength of my Spirit: I had worth. Before now, I felt I was cheating against all of the other Warriors and skating by as they did most of the work. I didn't assist them in their efforts when we first arrived, only finding reason to do so when our paths crossed Duskmon's, and even then, I had been nothing but a burden. I could make up for all of that. I could make the difference that I didn't find necessary before that I now found ever-so vital.

Until now, I had assumed too much of myself. I had to have been at a low point for even Cherubimon to know me well, a low that had made me even an enemy of my closest friend without a hesitation in mind. But I was done running; I was done attacking tasks with merely half-effort; I was done with my denial and lack of ethics that made me believe I didn't have to regret any acts of selfishness; I was done deceiving myself into thinking that this was all coincidence when really this was all Fate, and it was Fate in its purest form that provided me with this Spirit to redeem myself with. "Ryoushinmon!"

After all, _ryoushin_ means conscience.


	38. Chapter 36

**A/N: I'm alive! *arrives out of breath* It's been a long week for me, but I was still determined to get this done for you guys. I sat down last night and worked till 1:30am to finish this. I actually didn't get it finished then, since I was pretty much falling asleep as I was writing. But as soon as I got up, I worked until I finished. And thus, we have twenty-three pages of...uh...this. I'm totally exhausted right now, my brain hurts so bad from looking at so many words and struggling with my iTunes, so I didn't do my editing this as I usually do after I finish a chapter, and thus, there's probably a lot more typos than there usually are. I'm just too deprived right now to read through all of it again and make corrections.**

**Anyway, I guess I should get on with it. In this chapter, there is a huge flurry of big words in this and the writing is a lot more eloquent than previously. Primary reason being the effects of the AP English class I'm in, so lots of the big words you see are my vocab words. I know I used a ton of them in here since Wherever You Will Go is kinda my practice for using them.  
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**Other news, I'm glad to see that my 3rd Anniversary One-shot was pretty well-received. It just astounds me that I've been working on this for over three years now. Wow, where has my life gone?  
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**Onwards! Don't forget to keep tabs on my writing on my blog. Feel free to follow it; all you need is a gmail account to follow and the link as I said last chapter is on my profile. It'll give you reassurance that even though my updates take forever, I haven't given up! (Plus, you get to see all the things I waste my life doing...)  
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**Also, for those who take interest in my other fanfictions, please take a look at my Tamers fic If You Only Knew if you haven't. Since the updates for that fic are even slower than WYWG I lost some of my readers and it really makes me sad. But speaking of my other fics, most of you know from earlier author's notes that I've been planning a 02 fic. For those of you that may read it, I have a poll on my profile regarding a decision I can't seem to make. Please check it out at your convenience :)  
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**Back to Frontier, while writing this, I listened to the song I Hate Everything About You by Three Days Grace. I fell in love with the song when I saw a Takouji amv with it on youtube. For those of you who don't mind yaoi, I'd recommend watching it.  
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**Also, an idea that's been bouncing around my head is a Frontier/Sword Art Online cross-over. Those of you that read my 3rd Ann one-shot know that I found that anime a while ago and pretty much became addicted to it from episode one. I seriously recommend it, since it's so awesome that I just may end up doing the cross-over eventually, especially for those of you that like adventure and romance animes.  
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**Well, all of this said, I'll end my note here. I'll try to get chapter 37 out by Christmas, but no guarantees. So bye bye for now, loves!  
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* * *

Chapter 36

Floating next to MagnaGarurumon and EmperorGreymon brought me much confidence of our situation. I wasn't completely certain yet that destroying Cherubimon was something I wanted to do, but against my conscience, it was something that _had_ to be done. Too many had suffered, one particular that came to mind standing on the sidelines. Koichi. Just seeing the pain he went through, going through those images of his countless torments within my mind gave me reason enough to put up a combatant pose and motivate myself.

"That is such a pathetic attempt, foolish children. Mere advancements cannot hold a candle to the power I possess." Cherubimon grew nearer, but we stood firm. My fingers danced on the hilt of my sword, preparing for that moment to withdraw it. A little part of me was still waiting for this corrupted Digimon to realize what he was doing was wrong and show remorse for his actions, but the better part of me knew that wasn't going to happen any time soon. "For in mere minutes, you will be in your graves, searching desperately for comfort."

EmperorGreymon poised himself, but didn't seem like he was about to attack. His blue eyes were enflamed with emotion; I knew that Takuya under that armor was putting on his leader instincts. "Cherubimon, it is you who is the foolish one!" A look of slight perplexity crossed the opposing creature's face, but said nothing to contradict the Unified Flame Warrior's words. "You seek to help those like you, the Beast-type Digimon, when really you're destroying the entire world! What help are you to anyone?! How can you possibly believe that this destruction will benefit anyone but yourself?! All you wish is to be a selfish dictator! You're mad with power!"

"But don't worry! We're not intimidated by your madness." MagnaGarurumon seemed smug with his words, his tone filled with confidence. I was certain that within his form, Koji was smiling. And just the thought of him and his smile put one on my face as well.

Cherubimon's face became expressionless. Actually, scratch that. He suddenly seemed, interestingly enough, genuinely curious. "What do you know of the Digital World? You're nothing but foreigners here; I never understood why Ophanimon had called you: Worthless children that knew nothing beyond their own world."

I placed my hand securely on my sword, but did not draw it. My words were my main focus at this point, but I would fight if need be. "We know much more than you assume. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that the Digital World is a second home for me." I paused to look about at my comrades around me and saw an agreeing expression on each of their faces. "We know what this world is like—we're not the scared little kids that arrived here on Trailmon looking for something just to spend our day doing. We've become Digimon, and by doing so, we've also become part of this world. We know how the Digimon here think and how they feel, and even if we didn't have the Spirits inside of us, it's not that hard for us to realize that their feelings aren't much different from ours."

EmperorGreymon and I exchanged nods as he continued where I had left off, "And that leads me to think that maybe we know more about the Digital World than even you, a born inhabitant of this world. You don't even understand how much pain and suffering that you've dealt to those so undeserving. If you could just open your eyes and see how many things you've done wrong, then maybe you could make up for it to make a better future for everyone."

"But if you refuse to open your eyes," MagnaGarurumon began, sending me an expression I didn't have time to decipher before it was gone, "Then we will stop you from further destroying this world. With Ophanimon, the one you had once claimed to love, fighting with us."

This sent the once-pure Celestial off the edge into a deep rage. His face tightened and evil radiated off of his form. He growled and outspread his arms, reaching them upwards toward the dark sky. "Prepare you for your doom. I will show you that you know nothing of this world and the creatures that dwell within it! That Ophanimon had wasted her powers for such a useless cause as to spare you worthless brats—I could never grasp why she cared for such feeble beings such as you when she cares little for her own kind!" _You're referring to yourself, aren't you, Cherubimon? That heartache is driving you to further hate us…_ "Storm of Judgment!"

Dark lightning outlined in crimson rained down in intense flashes. Those of us in an Evolved state were easily able to maneuver away from the attacks, but none of us were able to anticipate the wildness of the bolts in order to block the one that struck down where our fellow humans were standing. I could hear their screams cut through me as dust arose and ground below them exploded into many pieces. Just from seeing MagnaGarurumon's expression for a split-second, I knew he was thinking of his brother.

I veered my head off in their direction and then back over to the Unified Warriors, my face tight. "We have to move them! They're not safe being this close to the battle—the next attack could do a lot more than that last one!" They looked to me and I was surprised they were letting me give orders at this point. Or maybe they were just waiting for me to give them in order to decide if they actually wanted to follow them or not. "So EmperorGreymon and I will assist the others while MagnaGarurumon distracts Cherubimon." I looked at the Light Warrior with a hint of smugness of my own. "I'm sure you can handle it. And if you can't, well… you're sunk."

He groaned at my remark, but seemed pleased enough that I had assigned him the job of fighting. "Right. I'll get 'im."

EmperorGreymon and I departed and came to the Warriors who were looking a little disoriented from the unsuspected blow. We were quick to action and took them to a higher part of the tower of the Rose Morning Star. I glanced back towards where the fighting was still ensuing without us, and a part of me just didn't want to be here at all, even if I wasn't directly in the action at the present time. There was only so much of this that I felt I could take and I was reaching that limit.

"There. You guys should be safe here." My mind snapped back to our current task and away from the Warrior of Light when I heard EmperorGreymon's voice. He began to make a light chatter with the humans, saying how he was going to make fast work of Cherubimon and that we'll be home and safe in no time. And it was at that very moment that I was sent onto the edge of my emotions, my instincts instantly perking up and spiking. I wasn't sure what it was…

But I felt _something_.

I could only utter one word. "Takuya…"

The part of the tower on which we placed the humans began to shake violently. I looked about hastily for something that could be causing it, but that was when the ground under Zoe broke. In an instant she plunged into darkness, the only sign of life being her scream as she plummeted. I only stared in horror at where she once stood. _What just—how did—I can't believe she's go—_

I couldn't even finish my thoughts when EmperorGreymon yelled the Italian girl's name out, ridden in pure emotion. His eyes were frantic and I could see him losing control. Before he could do something he'd instantly regret, I stepped before him with my voice hard and sincere, "You have to get back to the battle—you have to help Koji. I'll help Zoe." He didn't look like he even bothered trying to believe my words, but I continued, "You're duties lie elsewhere. I promise I won't let anything happen to her. Takuya, I swear, I'll bring her back to you."

He released a single breath, trying to contain his anger. His eyes locked upon me as he let out words slow and controlled, "All right…" When his next words came out, I thought for sure I saw the image of his real human form, his bright brown eyes putting his trust in me. "Thanks, Miri."

A small smile broke out onto my face at the name that brought me so much happiness, that showed me so much affection. I hoped that he could see the real me as I saw the real him mere moments ago as I spoke, "You don't need to thank me…Taky."

I lunged down into the darkness before I could sense any reaction on his part. A distinct feeling arose from inside me that desperately wanted to know what was triggered by the nickname for him that I hadn't used in so long. _Did he even notice?_ I wondered, but quickly shoved the thought from my head. There were much more important things that I had to focus on at this point. The significance of how Takuya thought of me had to take to the backseat and wait until it became priority. Right now I had a superior objective that needed my complete attention and a vow to the Warrior of Flame to keep.

My feet dropped gracefully to the ground and my eyes took in the area around me. A canvas of thick darkness was dropped down to the floor, rendering my skill for detail almost completely useless. Not far from me, I made out a silhouette of the Wind Inheritor unconscious on the floor. My voice let out her name, despite that the blackness prevented me from seeing what kind of condition she was in. A fall like that would've undoubtedly killed a human, but my ears caught the sound of her breathing.

"'I swear I'll bring her back to you.' How touching. It's hard to believe something like that came from your lips, especially directed to _him_ of all people. It's really quite droll actually."

My whole body became completely rigid. _That voice._ My mouth turned downward as the notes of that all-too familiar voice penetrated through my armor and maneuvered straight to my inner being. I poised myself with my fingers dancing upon the hilt of my sword, trying to appear unwavering and unshaken. "What do you want from me, Karin?" I questioned after a long moment of contemplation. I tried to sense exactly where she was, but I couldn't feel her presence anywhere.

Her figure materialized from the darkness, and only then I felt her being, her form in that of Crescemon. One arm was akimbo, her eyes gleaming at me nefariously as if she was anticipating a fun game to commence. "Why are you assuming I want something from you? You're not always the focus of everyone's lives as you clearly believe."

Her remark offended me, as it was meant to, but I tried to keep it from throwing me off the edge, so I attempted to avert my questioning with, "All right. What do you want from Takuya then?" I tightened my gaze upon her, testing to see if I could get to the very heart of the issue that she had confronted me for, whether by her vocalizing of it or analyzing her physiognomy for some sort of efficacy. "I won't let you get anywhere near him."

She snorted obnoxiously and then laughed at my remark in a matter that seemed like she thought I was trying to be funny. "It amuses me that you're trying to control him as if you think you own him. That's how you've always been with him, so possessive. When are you going to realize he isn't yours?" Her ruby-like eyes remained unchanging upon my silence; the air around us became vacuous and crisp. "Even when you have prior, more dominant commitments, you still toy with him as if he's your little plaything."

I cocked my head to the side slightly. This all sounded very familiar. "That's a load of crap, Karin, and you know it. I know who I hold interest in, and it's not him. I'm not the manipulative, controlling bitch you perceive me to be." At a distinct sighing sound, my eyes trailed to the Warrior of Wind, who I could detect was beginning to rouse. She was far too close to my enemy for comfort. "I don't understand where you get your information. Do you analyze me yourself or do you brood upon the past more often than you should?"

Her rabbit-based figure fidgeted with the weight of her weaponry but her gaze remained solid, amusement twisting around inside her irises. "Oh, I watch you, hon. No decision you make goes undetected. I can catch you in your lies; I know _exactly_ who you hold interest in." Her eyes suddenly flashed to the blonde who appeared a bit disoriented and unaware of her place and the situation, but in an instant, they were back upon me. "For example…" Her armored fingers flexed down at her side, still holding tight onto Nuova Luna. "That _break you took_ before arriving at the Rose Morning Star. What game were you playing…? Oh yes, I recall it was hide-and-go-seek. You and your little plaything hid together in that hollow tree that you accused him of ruining..." If I could've seen her mouth, I'm sure she would've been smiling deviously at this current point. "Does this ring any bells?"

The human me under all of that armor of my Polymerization Spirit grew warm with a feeling of insecurity, like she had invaded my privacy by bringing this up, and it offended me severely. But it didn't cancel out the fact I knew exactly what she was talking about. Pushing him away whenever he tried to lean against me. Allowing him to rest his head on my lap. We had even brought up Karin in our conversation. I could remember Takuya's exact words, "_Hey, uh…where do you think we'd be if Karin hadn't done…you know…did what… she did?"_ I frowned, my voice a single, mumbling note, "So you could hear us talking about you…"

"Precisely." Her voice, filled with acidic tones of self-proclaimed dominance, fell upon my ears deafly. Any confirmation that she had I didn't need, nor did I want. I was too busy being preoccupied with my own plaguing opinions. _She's talking in contradictions_, I concluded after a little thought. _She always would speak of how I hated Takuya, and now here she is saying this… I don't understand what she's getting at. _My throat jammed up, knowing that my thoughts were probably soon going to have an answer.

Her voice continued after my moment of silence, realizing I wasn't planning on responding to her single-word remark, "I'm flattered that you added me into such a discussion. And that look on your face when he asked you that one little question—ooh hoo hoo! It was delightful to watch!" I thought for sure she was going to abandon her weaponry to bust some girly, human pose, so it surprised me when she just stood there plainly as she chattered. "Hon, you think you've got it all figured out! You play it cold and distant on the outside—but not too cold as to shun your little fire boy away; that's why you're so friendly at times, to reel him back to you—and on the inside, you're just aching for his attention."

I couldn't completely comprehend what she was saying, but either way, I felt seriously affronted that she was making some sort of assumption of me as if she knew me in any relevant way, so thus, I went on sharply with my words. "I don't require anything of him! Who the hell are you to make that sort of judgment of me?! And stop talking so vaguely! Say exactly what you need to say and without all of the dodging of the point!"

At this point, I noticed just how intently Zoe had been watching and listening. I hadn't detected any sort of movement on her part, aside from lifting her head, but she was taking in our conversation with acute observation. Her emerald green eyes were filled with so much emotion, locked upon me with each passing moment that words were passed between Karin and me. She appeared not to notice, or maybe not care, that she was so close to someone I was speaking to so lividly, as if she'd been taken away by a feeling of blasé. Did she…actually trust me to keep her safe?

Karin's voice sounded crass in my ears. Her tone as she had conceded voluntarily to my demand came to me rather too easily like there was something I was totally overlooking. "My point _is_, hon, that you're horribly insecure. You're constantly reminded of how your relationship with Takuya suffered back in the human world, and those reminders make you overly-cautious of how durable what you and that Warrior of Light have created is. You're readying yourself in case of failure. Holding one boy tight as your relationship with the other fails will make a safety net so that you'll always have someone to catch you when you fall."

Her words hurt, I couldn't deny that, but I had to question the truth contained in them. Was that really what I was doing? If even subconsciously, was that still the case when it all came down to it? My first instinct was to deny any hint of truth that she poured out, but what if it was all truth? What if it was all lies? _And how can I distinguish the true from the false if I can't even determine what my mind is telling me? God, this is so messed up…_

"And the best part is," Karin continued cheerily, drawing my attention back to her with her tone, "it's the whole reason why you continually reached conflict with the Warrior of Wind."

I open my mouth to object, but then closed it again. _What the hell is she saying?_ I narrowed my eyes upon her to try to discover what she was even implying by studying her figure. I could just imagine her true human form with that little smirk that she was just too good at and internally, that's probably what she was wearing. My eyes flickered back to the aforementioned Italian; her mouth was like a little O as she tried just as I was to put this all together. But her eyes held a little hint of recognition. _Does she know what Karin's referring to?_

"Enlighten me here, Karin," I responded, my voice flat. I had gone for it to come out cleanly and smooth, but each syllable felt rockier than the last. "Exactly what are you implying? If you think that I made things a competition with Zoe for Takuya, then you're—"

"Absolutely correct," she cut in, like she had just said the simplest thing in the world. "And, girl, you really made things fun to watch, because…" She paused to set down one of her Nuova Luna, reach down, and lift Zoe off the ground by her hair, inducing pain-ridden screaming to escape from her agape mouth. "…this one is just so obsessed with him."

I drew my sword and took a step forward, but stopped myself before I could take another. If I threatened her, she could easily end Zoe's life with a single blow and I knew for certain she wouldn't hesitate. "Karin! Put her down!"_As if she'd actually listen to any demands I make…_ "It's not her that deserves any suffering—she's never done anything to you! Is the hostage method really what direction you wanna go?" I pursed my lips, hoping my words didn't come off too strong as to offend her.

Clearly they didn't. She began to laugh, a high giggly sound. "You really have grown soft, haven't you?" She briefly looked at the blonde, who had sunken her teeth into her bottom lip to keep from any more agonizing sounds and whose face was contorted with high discomfort, then back to me with piercing eyes. "It's pathetic really…I liked you better when you wouldn't have hesitated with attacking." She took the time to sigh and shake her head at my development.

A frown came upon my face at her words. _I never liked myself when I was like that. The only reason you did was because you took enjoyment out of my anger…_ "I see you, on the other hand, haven't changed." I stuck my sword into the dirt and upturned my palms. "Look, I don't want to fight you. Not anymore. I know we can't change the past, but we can forgive each other and work for a better future—one where maybe we can be friends."

She made an 'mmm' sound as if she was deeply contemplating how to respond to my request. "…Doubtful." With one, fluid movement of her hand she threw Zoe to the ground, but before she could aim her Nuova Luna, I had grabbed my sword and took up the place between her and the girl. At my attempt at chivalry, she began to cackle. "How cute. It's all quite amusing how you are just so intent on keeping your little promise to _Taky_."

I stiffened at her usage of the nickname. It was complete mockery that just bluntly said, 'You know I'm right with everything I've said. You want him. You want him more than you'd ever admit.' "I'm not doing it just for him," I growled from deep in my chest. "You think I don't care about _all_ of the Warriors? They've done more for me than I could ever repay." I turned my head to look back at Zoe briefly. "I'm keeping a promise, yes, but I'd keep any and every promise I make to my friends. Any one of them."

"Nice sentiment, but if I believed you, I'd say so, hon." She held her Nuova Luna up and it changed into a blowgun form. The air instantly grew dense and heavy. I could hear my heartbeat echoing inside me as she aimed it downward at the Warrior of Wind. I was in between them, but it didn't necessarily mean Zoe was completely safe.

I bent my knees and angled my sword with distinct precision. My eyes never once left those of Karin and for a moment we just stared vacuously at each other. Words came from my mouth before I had realized I had even unparted my lips, "Why do you think so wrongly of me, Karin? Why are you always so desperate to cause opposition between us? Things can be worked out without fighting; is whatever you're plagued with worth bloodshed—has it _ever_ been worth bloodshed?"

Her eyes burned with contempt. "If you're pretending to have empathy, you can just quit while you're behind! You can't suddenly play peacemaker after all this time!" She fired ice arrows and I easily blocked them with smooth, fluid motions, but I hadn't anticipated her to continue after the first few shots.

I positioned myself better before Zoe, but left myself more vulnerable to attacks. What I couldn't block with my sword connected hard with my armor. I could feel each blow bending my armor more and more, and the sound of them hitting the Digital metal resonated up into my head, amplified from the small space between me and the encapsulating armor. The deafening noise kept interrupting my thoughts that were trying to decipher each and every one of her words. _'Pretending to have empathy'? Why doesn't she doesn't want sympathy from me?_ "I'm serious, Karin! I want to be your friend—I know you don't wanna be mine, but can't we just call a truce?!"

She suddenly stopped with her barrage of attacks. Her voice screeched, "Will you just shut up?!" She swung her crescent-shaped weapon and struck me hard with it. I cried out as I tumbled from my position, my body contorted with pain. Her weapon had punctured through my armor and slashed into my side just below where my ribcage ended. When I grasped my fresh wound, she walked over to me as if she was doing the catwalk, confidence and poise in her steps, a feeling of hegemony in her eyes that was rooted deep in vehement origin. "You're such a pretty girl. Oops, did I say pretty? I meant petty." Her voice didn't match the words that it made; all sort of teasing was diminished, replaced by irate taunt. "Because all beauty has been uprooted at the site."

Staring up at her with critical eyes, I sputtered, "Hasn't anyone ever told you that beauty isn't just skin-deep?" My fingers curled tenderly around the break in my armor even tighter, trying to hide how much it was enflaming my entire body with agony and trying to keep from shaking.

She chortled something cold. Something evil. "Ah, the Ugly Girl Motto. I do miss hearing that in my school days; my friends and I would laugh so. The only ones that needed to say such a phrase would be the ones that have nothing to admire about themselves. I never needed such a phrase. And here as well—oh yes, I forgot to show you something." She emitted a white light that consumed her entire body. "Crescemon Digivolve to…" An intense flash made me turn my head away and then faded like a fog dispersing. "Dianamon."

To say in the least, her newest form was elegant. She stood tall on heals that were concealed by crescent moons that went up from her the toe of the heels up and up her shins to where they jutted upward on her knees. Sleeping faces were etched upon them. A short skirt came down from her hips, which led up to armor covering her entire upper body and down her arms. A crescent came off of each of her shoulders and rods protruded from her back. The tails of a long, pink scarf flowed from her neck down to her shins. Her Nuova Luna were replaced by a single, scythe-like weapon that had blades on each end. Her face was entirely covered by a helmet, only revealing her ruby eyes.

Her voice had become more refined and older-sounding, but her nature was still evident in her tone. "I've been waiting to use my Mega form for a long time, just for you. Aren't you glad you're going to be destroyed by someone as beautiful as I?"

I tightened my gaze and with it, my entire body went rigid. "I don't understand you, Karin. I offer you friendship; I apologized for my wrongs. What more do you want?" My body feeling flimsy and unsupported, I managed to bring myself up to one knee, one hand still holding my wound, the other resting on the ground to hold me in balance, just an inch from the hilt of my sword. "I don't see the point you're trying to make by attacking me."

Her gaze momentarily left me and her head turned to look at the Italian girl. She said nothing at the sight of the blonde, but then averted her eyes back to me. "A weak-minded girl such as yourself wouldn't understand my motives." _Why did she look at Zoe before speaking? What does this have to do with her?_ "I guess you could say I just want to remove every and all things that could prove to be competition. I can't let those like you ruin my plan."

_Competition…Those like me… What is she getting at?_ I interrupted my own thoughts as I grabbed hold of my sword, knowing thinking had to come later. "Really?" I retorted flatly, rising up to my feet and refusing to wobble. _If I can get her to fight me, maybe when she weakens, she'll let loose some more information. _"I haven't seen much of this removing taking place. We've been here a while and you still haven't done anything to exterminate me. I thought you wanted me gone. Or is your Mega form not as good as you make it out to be?"

In an instant, she was headed for my throat. She swung her weapon with velocity I couldn't prognosticate and as I blocked with my sword, the clang from their collision deafening as sparks shot to the ground. It became a battle of sheer strength, each of us pushing to make the other falter. All the while, we didn't remove our eyes from each other. Hers were on fire with rage and loathing, made evident by her acidic voice, "You talk so cockily. I'm going to make you regret ever crossing paths with me!"

"Well, I can safely say it's too late for that!" I snapped back, testing to see just how far I could push her before making her crack. My eyes flashed off of her and to my sword. My hands were trembling; I only could hold her off for so long. I bent my knees downward the most undetectable amount, wavering only slightly and swung one leg around, striking her ankle and hooking the curve off my foot around the back of hers, the momentum enough to trip her down onto her knees. I knocked her weapon from her hands with one motion of my arm, and it took only a second for me to reposition so that both hands were on my sword and the blade was up to her throat. "I bet you regret crossing paths with _me_, don'tchya, buddy?"

I wasn't sure what it was, but something amidst all of this was humorous to her, as she began to laugh loud and long. "Don't flatter yourself, hon. You're not as threatening as you think." A glint flashed in her eye and she snickered. "If only your reality matched your self-image. Then, you'd actually get somewhere." Without warning, she back-flipped from her position, kicking my sword out of my hands, and landed poised in between me and Zoe. "If you were really as good as you think, you would've been able to anticipate that." She drew an arrow of ice from the protrusions on her back; it glistened faintly as she delicately fingered it. "Now, I'll give you a second chance if you wish."

_You bitch…_ The vulgar name-calling barely formed in my mind before my Digimon instinct took hold and moved my body faster than if I had consciously made it. Nothing else mattered at that moment, nothing but the safety of Zoe. The safety of my friend. No remorse filled me as the ice arrow punctured through my armor and into my skin, as I tumbled back down to the ground, holding my tongue to keep from screaming out. I only lied in the dirt, locking my jaw to keep my cries inside and convulsing uncontrollably. My eyes stared hard at the arrow driven into me, but found no ability to try to remove it, no matter how much it was killing me inside out.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen…" Out of the very corner of my vision, I detected Karin's Digimon form approaching me, her hips swaying as they had when she was human. She stopped before me, her crimson eyes dilated with madness as she looked down at me. "Heh. This is what you deserve for defending that girl." She reached down and wrapping her fingers gingerly around the arrow, I could only squeeze my eyes shut and brace myself.

She twisted the arrow around and yanked it from me.

I could only cry as she ripped skin off of me like a madman skinning an animal live. The action only lasted a second, probably less, but the pain felt perpetual as if my organs all had been ripped out and shoved back in. Tears that blinded me fell freely from my eyes. I unclenched my jaw and with it, my hold on my Spirit was released. In my brittle, human state, the agony was intensified tenfold and it felt as though my whole body was on fire, enveloped in an inescapable inferno that succeeded in both burning and freezing me simultaneously.

"Mirai!" I felt Zoe's fingers grasp around the back of my hand, the touch making me flinch. In a millisecond, I heard her tone change to spew hot lava, "How could you be so callous?! Whatever grudge you hold against Mirai isn't worth this! You used to be human—you have a human heart! Isn't that sufficient to realize when enough is enough, when sorry and offering reconciliation may be all that can be done? You're tapping into powers beyond us all to get revenge and it's not worth it. …What was your name? Karin, right? Karin, I don't know what happened to make you so vengeful or why it concerns Mirai and Takuya, but—"

My eyes snapped open at the sound of Karin smacking Zoe across the face and the girl stumbling backwards. The Warrior of Wind held her hand to her cheek and her emerald green eyes was filled with sympathy for her, despite all that had happened. This Italian girl had caring persistence written on her face that sought to push past the barriers that Karin put up time after time, hoping to forge something under it all. It was the exact same strategy she used on me.

Karin's voice came out without emotion, "You're right. You _don't_ know, so stop pretending you can make sense of it. I'm not looking for concern or empathy from anyone, especially you Legendary Warriors." She looked from Zoe to me. When her gaze locked with mine, she seemed to be portraying a bit of amusement from my current position. "But it doesn't seem like you're in a place to give concern at this point." She flexed her fingers easily. "It's a shame. I was really looking forward to a good battle with you, but you've grown much too soft. Protecting this slut…" Her eyes tossed from me to the Warrior of Wind then back again. "You've fallen so far…"

I frowned at her, feeling offended. My voice came out as a hiss. "You take that back. Zoe is a much better person than either one of us—she doesn't deserve to be called such things. You, for one, don't even know her to be passing such a hard, uncalled for judgment…" I felt my D-Tector begin to vibrate within my pocket, and feeling my strength beginning to return to me, pulled it out. "I won't let you badmouth any one of my friends. Anything regarding them you'll have to run by me first." With the power shed on me by my Digivice, I stood back up, my pain decreasing heavily. "And as for saying I've fallen, I'd like to correct that. Actually, I haven't fallen as you said, Karin. You think friendship has made me weak. In truth, I have actually risen! Risen to a level you could never understand!" I held out my D-Tector, beginning to smile. "And this is what makes me strong, carrying me through any wall standing in my way!"

As soon as I pressed the button to activate Spirit Evolution, I felt instantly powerful. The dint only further increased as the ring of Data appeared around my hand and I slid the scanner against it. "Execute! Polymerization Spirit Evolution!" I almost assumed that over time, I would've grown used to that feeling of Spirit Evolution, but every time that I felt the energy and instinct of my Spirits flow through me like my own blood, I was once again proven wrong. It was a feeling to be craved for its ever-changing allure and going hand-in-hand with it, always existed a flash of hope. "Ryoushinmon!"

Karin crossed her arms, boredom wafting off her figure. "This again, Mirai? At least if you're too stubborn to admit defeat, try something new. You and I both know how this is going to end."

One corner of my lips curved upwards as I drew my sword, my voice escaping with a level of smugness that I didn't bother trying to conceal, "Yes, we do. Just like last time. Although…I believe you're gonna need a little more than another plastic surgeon this time." I ran my finger along the edge of my blade absentmindedly. "Since I realize you're far too driven by madness to console. You don't even bother to open your eyes to see how much I wish to help you—it isn't ignorance, it's lunacy." I pressed the blade into the dirt for it to stand erect and free my hands. "You heard what Zoe had said. You're using powers that surpass human bounds. Merely being here, serving under Cherubimon is enough to drive a human insane, but with all of the power that is being controlled by a human mind…"

"Off you go again, pretending you know all!" She drew another arrow from her back, daring me with her eyes. "Everything about you is so detestable; I should've destroyed you long ago while you were still lost of mind. It would've been oh-so easy, just as easy as it had been to destroy your little Digimon friend." She snickered, running her fingers along the arrow as I had done with my sword moments before. She was openly taunting me.

I averted my eyes from her, my voice coming out flat and quiet. "You heartlessly destroying DemiVeemon is distinct evidence of your insanity. But back then, you had an objective in mind..." I peered back up, studying the mask that covered the face underneath. "But now…you say you have reasoning, but I see that wild, uncontrolled look in your eyes. I don't see what sort of reasoning lies behind those feral eyes." My mind uncontrollably flashed back to her words, _Competition. You can't play peacemaker. Those like you…_ "There once was a reason why Cherubimon called you of all people to come here; at first it was merely to destroy me out of revenge…" I turned my head and looked directly at Zoe, who had mixed emotions written on her face, but never for a second showed any doubt in me. "…but over time, you also found it necessary to go after Zoe as well." My face snapped back, and I cocked it slightly, playing the smallest of smiles. "Do you want to know why that is?"

Karin released a beast-like snarl and hurled the ice arrow at me. With the simple raising of my hand, a small force field formed and deflected it, adding to her complete frustration. "You know _nothing_!" she growled, losing her hold on herself. Her eyes were burning with abhorrence, tangled in a frenzy. "You always thought you were so smart, so superior! How did you end up with someone like _him_?! There is no way in hell you were worth him, yet there you were, attached at the hip! Even when you were acting like a total bitch to him, he never held it against you! He was far out of your league, yet there you were!"

My lips flatted out once again. "I never understood it either…" It surprised me when my tone seemed almost melancholy, but regardless, I decided to continue. "He'd always look the other way and turn the other cheek, day after day and time after time. How he had so much patience for me, I never knew… And I'll admit, I almost _enjoyed_ making enemies with you, and now I think I actually know why I indulged in such a feeling. I enjoyed making you suffer, watching you wallow in your jealousy."

In a flash, she retrieved her weapon that had been long-abandoned and was rashly assailing me. One of the crescent-shaped blades was swung at me, and I withdrew the spikes that were concealed in the place covering my gloves, connecting with the edge of the blade with a shower of sparks. She pulled back and swung with the blade on the opposite end, aiming for my back. There wasn't enough time for me to turn around, so I proceeded by executing a back flip over the weapon, landing nimbly in a crouch. In the time it took for Karin to reposition herself, I had already righted myself and held out my hands. Energy swirled about them, collecting into intensely-hued orbs. "Manifold Cataclysm!" I slammed my palms together and the two orbs fused together. It followed the motions of my fingertips and I sent it off directly at my target.

At the contact, my attack that was once compact into its small, round shape, burst in a flash of brilliant light. Karin's double-bladed weapon went reeling from her grasp as she let out a blood-curling shriek, more animal-like than human. I could see her silhouette within this chamber from which there was no escape; the armor covering her body was being ripped into shreds and disintegrating. As the attack began to eat away her body, I forced myself to turn away, remorse for dealing such an end biting me.

_But…there was no other option…She has become so hardened as to refuse listening to reason and enveloped in her craving for revenge…_

As the effects of my attack faded and Karin's Digimon form melded into a DigiEgg, I noticed no Fractal Code to be scanned. Instead, a mist arose from the surface of the egg like fog rising from a lake on a cool morning and like smoke, drifted upwards to the heavens. The DigiEgg, in turn, floated up as well, but I knew it was going to a different sort of haven. Karin's spirit was pulled from that of Crescemon's, and thus was going back to the place it belonged, finally laid to rest.

I De-Spirit Evolved and dropped my head. "I'm sorry, Karin. I never meant for it to come to this…" I could feel emotions weighing on me, heavy-laden on my heart, but I refused to cry. Now wasn't the time for tears; I wouldn't permit tears to fall. "I realize now all you wanted was _him_…"

I felt Zoe clap me on the shoulder with her hand, and when I peered back at her, she gave me a half-smile, her eyes soft and filled with that sympathy she was ever-so good at providing. "You did the right thing. Being here in that state was only destroying her inside. If you hadn't, eventually it might've been too late to save her." By the slight contorting of her face, I knew she saw me holding back tears; she embraced me and let me put my face in her shoulder.

_But I killed her. I killed another human being…_ I grasped the soft fabric of her lavender jacket, curling my fingers around it with distinct need for it. "I just want this war to be over…"

There suddenly was a deafening explosion and the ground began to tremor violently. The ceiling cracked, showering dirt down upon us, and began to crumble. I was instantly snapped from my melancholy and became aware of the situation all around. The sadness was replaced by instinct's desperation as I broke out of the embrace. "We have to get outta here!" I snatched up her wrist and took off running, pulling her along. The Rose Morning Star was collapsing and if we stayed where we were, we'd be a little bit more than flattened.

Without the warnings of all of my quick turns to avoid falling debris, Zoe probably didn't appreciate how wildly I was running about. "Mirai, I know you don't wanna get squashed, but must you cut the circulation off in my wrist?" At her words, my arm was yanked back, signaling to me that she almost tripped in the haste I was making her have. When I glanced back, she was holding out the arm I wasn't grasping for balance. I really didn't blame her for taking precautions.

I stopped abruptly when a large slab of ceiling fell down just before me, causing the Italian I was dragging along to bash into my back, but I hardly let that deter me, as I maneuvered around the once-ceiling and continued. Through my breathlessness, I sputtered thoughtlessly, "Look, I can't let anything happen to you, otherwise Takuya will kill me!"

"Otherwise what?!"

I caught myself from repeating what I just openly blurted out and laughed awkwardly as if the whole building wasn't about to crush us. "Oh, hahaha, nothing!" I pushed my hair from my face and squinted hard at what was ahead, trying to decipher its identity. If my eyes were deceiving me, then what I wasn't seeing was an opening to the outside, but I was praying to God that it actually was what I was seeing. "Is that light up ahead?"

"Yeah, I think so!" I could hear the optimism in the notes of her voice. Just hearing it, made me feel a little bit more sanguine as well. Her constant hopefulness never ceased to amaze me.

We ran to it, and unfortunately, the thought that we _might_ not be on the ground floor of the Rose Morning Star didn't cross my mind until I was flailing my arms to try not to fall off the edge. And even more unfortunate than that, was my forgetfulness that I was still grasping Zoe's hand, and as before, my sudden stop was a bit too sudden for her to _not_ run into me, so we found ourselves tumbling out of the tower. And plummeting.

My intelligent mind wasn't screaming, as my instinct probably would've told me. Instead, I was spewing out a flurry of, "Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!" in such a fast pace that I was practically out of breath from that alone, "Oh crap, oh crap, oh cr—oof!"

Luckily, what we crashed into wasn't the ground below. Rather when I looked up, I was met with the shining, amused eyes of EmperorGreymon and his taunting voice. "Well, _that_ was smooth, guys."

I was too busy pouting to notice how Zoe reacted to the remark. I tried to ignore the question that appeared at the sight of EmperorGreymon carrying not just Zoe and I, but MagnaGarurumon on his shoulder and all the other Warriors as well, though I knew that since I had noticed, it was going to bother me until I asked, "Hey, since when are you so str—?"

My question was interrupted without warning by someone calling out, "Look out!" and everything being shrouded in dust. Less than a moment passing gave way to the booming of an explosion.

* * *

I wasn't certain what did it, but something made a distinct, clear-cut point of making my head throb like hell. Before I bothered opening my eyes to see where we landed and if anyone felt as discombobulated as I did at current, I reached up and felt the growing knob on my head. A groan escaped, figuring that was the source of my pounding headache. But at this point it felt more like a baby squirrel trying to burrow its way out of my head.

But I digress. At times like this, they're basically the same thing.

The effort to get into a sitting position, which took me half of forever, was nothing in comparison with how long it took me to get onto my feet. As I was dusting myself off, I saw Takuya stand up, looking a little bit out of it (as I'm sure everyone was at this moment), but him primarily so because he pretty much had a big rock on top of him previously. He wiped the dust off his face and moaned, "Oww, my head... It's the only part of me that doesn't hurt."

"Too bad it's the only part of you that's completely useless," I retorted flatly.

He gave me a childish frown, slight amusement from my remark shimmering in his eyes, but said nothing. It was just one of those times he was better off not saying anything. Although, honestly, I wasn't sure how he could've responded to such a thing anyway. He turned his head away from me just as he caught ear of Zoe calling out, his face showing distinct tentativeness.

"Is everyone all right?"

Koji, who had taken off his bandana to dust it off, smiled. God, I loved that smile. "Yup," he answered shortly, yet still held a noticeable amount of cheerfulness in his voice. He increased in cuteness sevenfold when he was cheery. Though cheery didn't seem like the right word when describing him, at this particular moment, it seemed quite perfect for him. The way his blue eyes shone, the way dirt spotted his face as if he was a little child that had been playing in a sandbox, the way some of his bangs stood right up…

…Yeah, he was pretty.

But he was also dismissing the fact Neemon was hanging upside down from a large, pointy rock by the crotch of his pants just behind him.

"No one got hurt?" Takuya questioned, also ignoring the yellow bunny. He threw his arms back behind his head and let loose a big grin. I decided then that everyone was being very optimistic. "Well, I guess there's a first time for everything." It was a pretty good reason for him to be content, and therefore, a good reason for the rest of us. Even though the Warrior of Flame had a better hold on his rage and hero complex than before, whenever there was a casualty, there still existed that possibility he could lose control of himself.

Apparently Neemon was now tired of being ignored. "What about _meee_?" And proceeded to let out weird noises when Patamon tried to help him from his plight by pulling on one of his ears. During this, I thought for sure through the laughter of Zoe and Tommy I heard Bokomon call them nincompoops.

"So what happened to Cherubimon?" The Warrior of Wind completely changed the mood of the group with her sudden question, but to know the condition of our opponent was well worth it. Despite the fact I had growing sympathy for the celestial that had fallen, it was an important mission at hand to make sure he doesn't cause any more death. Too many Digimon, comrades, and friends had met an undeserved fate all because of a little love story gone horribly wrong.

Bokomon looked up at the girl, his eyes showing surprise when thinking of a possible answer. "Well, I guess Takuya and Koji must've actually defeated him." _You make it sound like it was an impossible task for them. That could be very insulting…_

"No." The sound of Koichi's crisp voice caused the rest of us to fall into silence and look at him. His eyes were clouded and his face was solemn. It was the expression he always made when referring to those he once called allies. "I know him. There's no way he could be defeated that easily." His tone was chilled and quiet, filled with knowledge of the side of evil that had encapsulated him and controlled his heart. "... He has to be alive…"

A long pause ensued. Or at least until JP decided to open his jaw and flap it about. "Even so, we—" '_We'?_ "—destroyed his hideout and I bet we—" _What is with this 'we'? Did I miss the part when you got out and fought?_ "—did a lot of damage to him. He's probably off somewhere licking his wounds."

I frowned and narrowed my eyes at his wording. "What do you think he is, a stray dog?" Eyes met me as soon as I closed my mouth after defending Cherubimon —although my approach was rather blunt—and I knew I probably had to explain myself. "He's not that different from any other Digimon or even us for that matter; you don't have to be so rude, even if he's the bad guy we're facing." _He's just the one to get the short end of the stick within a love triangle. And maybe that's why he picked Karin; they're more alike than I anticipated…_

At this, everyone gave me a perplexed expression, each of different proportions, but I could see in every one of their faces, acceptance of my opinion and feelings. Seeing it made me happy within amaranthine bounds, knowing that they considered me both a teammate and an equal. Had it been earlier in our time here in the Digital World, I would've felt they were judging me for my opinions, let alone if I had even bothered to share them to begin with.

"Sorry to break this awkward silence, but we have a problem."

We instantly changed gears as the Warrior of Flame spoke, coming to attention as he pulled out his D-Tector. The tone went from discomfited to serious within a matter of seconds, causing his face to light up with that amused, cheesy smile. He let out a slight chortle as he stated, "Hey, relax guys. What? You think everything I say is gonna lead to something bad happening? Wait, don't answer that… I just meant we have to get you your Spirits back somehow."

As if him saying that was a trigger of some sort, the screen of his D-Tector glowed and if I hadn't seen the little Spirit figurines themselves, I would've thought rainbows shot out of it. And then seeing Koji's D-Tector doing the same thing, I was almost pretty close to questioning the Ancient Spirits' sexuality, but that probably wouldn't have been the best of ideas. Regardless, the little rainbow-like beams shot upward and the Spirits leading them collided and rained down, back into our D-Tectors.

"You know you're in the Digital World if the spirits of ancient creatures are falling from the sky…" I muttered, but at the same time taking out my own D-Tector for my Spirits of Time to return. I didn't realize I was smiling until I saw my reflection in the little screen as I looked down at the faces of Gryphanimon and Laikasmon. I heard the other Warriors express their delight at the return of their Spirits; I wasn't the only one that felt like I was reuniting with old friends.

As the others joked about, JP saying that he thought he'd never be so happy to see something he couldn't eat, I was snapped from my little silent revelry by the sound of something _different_. My eyes snapped up and I instantly was on my toes. I looked about, beyond where all of the Warriors were standing around chatting, and in every direction. I couldn't define what I heard exactly; it was almost like a crunching sound, but not the sound of something breaking, more like an amplified sound of someone cracking their frozen knuckles. But it seemed like it stopped the moment I began searching for it, leaving me a bit baffled. I kicked my shoe in the dirt, double-checking that I hadn't made the noise unintentionally, but nothing replaced that feeling that _something_ was here.

I peered back down at my D-Tector, consulting my Spirits. _Is there something here? Or was it my imagination?_ The blank screen stared back at me, no sound emitting from the device. My lack of hint frustrated me, leaving me no closer to figuring out if there indeed was something out there or if I was just suffering from paranoia. But with my luck on sensing such things, it most likely was the latter of the two, as it usually was on similar occasions.

Deciding to turn back to my group to listen to and possibly join in on the conversation, I instantly became a spectator of a little moment between the twins. Koji was leaning up against a large rock, his face nonchalant and his mind seemingly off in space when Koichi approached, his face distressed and pink with embarrassment as he began to speak, "Um…Koji?" His deep eyes darted downward as soon as his younger brother turned to him, his face contorting in discomfort even further now that his brother's attention was caught. "So, uh…listen."

The moment he paused to try to collect himself was when I realized how silent everyone else was and how they were all watching in curiosity. I crept over to Takuya and mumbled, "Notice how everyone is eavesdropping now…"

Takuya was about to respond to me, but stopped as soon as he saw Koichi's mouth open again as he tried to continue, "You see…"

He stopped at the sound of Patamon beginning to wail loud and harshly. In the midst of his cries, he interjected to tell us exactly why, and it wasn't exactly good news, "Something's coming!" _Ugh, God, my stupid feeling was right…_

The area grew instantly cold. When I exhaled, I could see my breath in the air. Ice formed under our feet, even with no water present. But then jagged chunks of ice shot up from the ground, trying to impale us. One of the edges seared against my shoulder, and I let out a hoarse gasp, trying to hold my tongue from crying out. Pressing my palm up to it, I didn't want to look; I didn't want to believe that there was blood here, even as the warm liquid touched my fingertips.

"Mirai, you gotta move!" Takuya grabbed my arm and pulled me with him just as other obelisks of ice emerged where I had been standing moments before. His eyes were moving about, checking on all the others. In an instant, his hero complex kicked in and he was off to help the other Warriors.

In the area all around us, rang out the echo of an evil cackle. A tall shadow overcame us, and I looked up to see a vicious, vampire-like Digimon. He was all white and had belts about his body. His arms were too long for his body and tattered bat wings protruded from his back. Two horns a lot like a bull's were on the sides of his head, in line with hypnotic, crimson eyes. Just below, he wore a devilish smirk that revealed sharp, beast-like teeth, two of which were longer, signature of a vampire. _That is _definitely_ not Edward Cullen…_

"Cherubimon sent you to finish us off, didn't he?!" JP snapped, his jaw hard-set. "I knew it! He's too injured to finish us off himself, so he sent one of his cronies to do it for him! The lazy, cowardly oaf; he won't even man-up!"

At the Warrior of Thunder's slight rant, the ice Digimon widened his eyes. He even seemed to be a little amused at the remark, emphasized by his jovial tone. "Cherubimon? Ha! I wouldn't compare me to that weakling if I were you! There's no way I'd work for him; if anything, he's better off working for _me_!"

"If you're not with him, then what do you want with us? And who are you, anyway?" Zoe's eyes were filled with curiosity, but under them, I thought I caught a little hint of trepidation. However, that didn't surprise me; I could assume everyone felt that way right at this moment.

Bokomon let out a yelp, his eyes wide with terror, his entire person trembling. In his hands was his green book, open, and probably providing him with information that he just didn't want to know about this guy, especially now that he was standing before us and insulting Cherubimon's strength. "That's IceDevimon, one of the nastiest Digimon around! Don't expect any mercy from this cold-hearted creature! All he wants is death and destruction—you _don't_ want to know what it says in here!"

We all vocally protested against his act of not telling us what IceDevimon had earned a reference in the book for, and thus Bokomon conceded and explained, "Well, if you _must_ know, many years ago he went on a rampage across the Digital World, destroying Digimon and eating whatever Data he could get his hands on without the slightest amount of hesitation or remorse. Eventually he was captured, and since he was too powerful for even Cherubimon to destroy, he was sentenced to imprisonment without end. Are you happy you asked now, Misters and Misses Pushy Pants?!" But then he looked up from his book and to IceDevimon, then back down again, seemingly doing a double-take. "Wait, 'imprisonment without end'? Sure looks like it ended to me."

"So does the book say _where_ he's supposed to be imprisoned?" Tommy questioned, not hiding the nervousness taking over in his voice. Even with his big hat concealing most of his face from my sight, I could see how he was becoming more and more worried.

Now Bokomon was frozen, his eyes glued to the vampire Digimon staring down at us with anticipation. "It doesn't, but I have a sinking suspicion that we found the place…"

IceDevimon grinned deceitfully, displaying to us his animalistic fangs. "So tell me; you're humans, are you not?" We all stayed silent, our eyes trained to him in a defensive glare. "Not going to answer? That's just as well; I—" He suddenly stopped, pausing as if trying to figure out the answer to a question suddenly asked of him. "Do I smell—" His gaze snapped to me like a snake snapping at its prey, dilated with impious craving. "—_blood_?"

My fingers curled around my shoulder instinctively, but I didn't move from my place. We locked eyes, his sadistic and lustful, mine fearful yet resolute.

He chortled and sneered, "You know, I haven't ever received the pleasure tasting human Data, let alone human blood." He took a step toward me, testing to see how much fear I would display. Then came another step; I didn't move. And another. "This should be—"

Koji was between us in an instant, his D-Tector tight in his grasp, his other arm out before me, rings of Data surrounding his hand sparking and flaring with intensity. Despite that his back was toward me, I could see his physiognomy. His eyes were solemn and inexorable, yet burned with a passion I had never before seen. His tone was brusque and severe beyond compare, "Why don't you just go back to that rock you crawled out from before I have to put you there myself?"

IceDevimon tilted his head slightly, analyzing this new development with genuine inquisitiveness; then he chuckled, licking his lips before breaking into full-fledged laughter. "Oh, I see now! You love each other, don't you? How very _sweet_." He spat the final word out almost resentfully, but the tone was contradicted by his beaming. "You know, back in my days of freedom, I enjoyed the sight of a young couple in love…" He leaned down toward us, his eyes contorting. "…as they died in each other's arms."

"Heartless bastard," I scoffed, shooting daggers at him with my glare.

His tone was far too cheerful for my liking; it was haunting. "Actually, I believe I was quite merciful. They only had each other up until the bitter end. As they say, 'Till death do us part', right? It's far better than now…" He took time to give us each individual looks, enjoyment reigning paramount in his bloodthirsty gaze. "Because I think I'll feast on only one of you right now and let the other watch as their beloved meets their delightful end…"

"How about you _don't_ eat my friends?!" Regardless of how dumb that sounded, Takuya darted over, his D-Tector in his hand and ready to Spirit Evolve. But then he made a face. "Okay, that was something that sounded so much better in my head."

The murder-seeking Digimon didn't appear amused by the Warrior of Flame's little quip, but then again, no one else was, either. "Oh, so you wanna get involved as well?" I didn't like the look on his face that formed when eyeing Koji and Takuya up. "I have a most pleasant idea… No, call it a _gift_ for releasing me." He lifted a single finger and from it, two shots of ice formed and hit their advanced D-Tectors. The devices froze solid and the sounds that are always audible suddenly muted.

Takuya glared, openly opposing the one with a clear advantage without a single hesitation. "What did you do to our D-Tectors?!" Despite the fact he now had no way of defending himself, I could see that determined aura about him, that aura that said he just didn't care how much danger he was in as long as he was fighting for the right cause. _Damn that hero complex…_

"I can see that you two are the bigger prizes in this little game, so I'm saving you for later, after I get rid of these smaller _distractions_," he responded absent-mindedly, looking at each of the other Warriors with increasing hunger. "How's that sound? You both get to watch this glorious bloodbath before getting to join in for yourselves! The screaming in terror, the tears as they beg for mercy, the sound as their brittle bones shatter—it will be beautiful, will it not?"

_This guy is a psychopath…_ I pulled my fingers from my shoulder, feeling how sticky they were from the blood, but regardless, reached into my pocket for my own Digivice. _If it's a battle you want, IceDevimon, then it's a battle you'll receive…_ "The only begging for mercy that'll be done is when we have you backed up in a corner!" I tried to keep myself from looking about to make sure there _actually was_ a corner for him to be backed up into to begin with. "So you might as well start searching for that corner now so there's less pain to be dealt!"

He released a loud cackle at my attempt at a threat. "Little human, you have spunk. It'll be genuinely delightful indulging upon you when your blood is splattered on the ice. I bet your Data tastes especially delicious!" He licked his lips cravingly and that mere action made me take a half-step back from his daunt. "Oh yes, it is much better when the prey is scared! You are reacting perfectly; this will be quite entertaining, don't you agree?"

"Okay, you weirdo! This has gone on long enough!" Zoe flipped her hair back behind her shoulder, getting out her D-Tector. "It's time for us to take you down!"

Tommy joined her, his own device in his hand. "I'll second that!"

"Count me in!" JP didn't exactly appear like his words were supported by his face, which looked totally fear-stricken. He had his fingers clenched to his palms and up to his face like a little kid afraid of being hit by a bully to get his lunch money taken from him.

"Me too." Koichi's eyes raged with resolve; it was the same look in his eyes that he held when standing up to Cherubimon's copy. The screen of his D-Tector was glowing a strange, purplish color. "I'm not gonna let you hurt my friends!"

We Spirit Evolved, I to my Polymerization Spirit, the others to their Human Spirits. Not a second passed before we went into action. Beetlemon charged with a Thunder Fist, of which IceDevimon dodged by merely hopping back, and Kazemon took the opportunity to use Hurricane Wave, but that too was avoided by the simple bending of his body. Kumamon came in from above with a Frozen Tundra, but before he could even get close, the vampire snatched him out of the air and licked him like he was a popsicle. _Eww, if that's not a fetish, I don't know what is…_

"Hey, back off from that bear!" I yelled, joining with Kazemon to assist the Warrior of Ice. We charged in, Kazemon to the air and I running with my sword unsheathed. I leapt up, grasping my sword above my head as if it were an ax. He locked eyes with me, smiled and with one swipe of his arm that I could hardly see, he hit me clear out of the air with a force that left me on winded. When I looked back up, he had Kazemon tight in his grasp and the sound of her wails was painful like a bed of needles on my ear.

He eyed the fairy with crimson, glinting eyes. Lust burned in his gaze as he retorted licentiously, "You look so much prettier when you're writhing in agony. Those beautiful sounds are so…" He paused to snicker subtly. "..._arousing_."

_You don't know when to shut up, do you?!_ I got back up and went into the fray again. Using the same stance as last time, I positioned my sword, but instead of direct approach, and gave a cry as I drove its shining blade into IceDevimon's wrist. I internally cringed at the sound of the metal surpassing through what lied beneath his skin, but held a little relief that he stepped back and released both of my comrades he held captive as I jumped back into place beside Lӧwemon.

Kazemon sent back a slight smile in my direction, but I was too focused on our current adversary and the way he was smiling down at us. My sword still pierced deep into his skin, only the hilt visible above the surface, yet his expression showed no concern of this malady. "Is the little girl jealous of the notice she receives? I find it droll to no end how much you use violence as a cry for attention." With two nimble fingers, he grasped the sword and slid it out from his wound as one would a sliver. "Here, I'm sure you will enjoy this attention." He hunched forward and outspread his albino bat wings above him. Only two mere flaps sent gusts of freezing winds across the ground, a chilling sensation that became a numbing cold without warning.

We looked down and ice was crystallizing upwards, like vines making its way up a wall. I heard the others' exclamations matching the thoughts going through my mind as all sensation and feeling in my lower body began to diminish. It flowed upward to my shoulders, pinning down my arms with little space.

But at the same time, somehow I was all too aware of vibrations flowing through the ground. He was stepping towards us, his arms out with his fingers curved like he was trying to figure out which one of us he wanted to eliminate first. However, I wasn't at all doubtful of that idea, especially as he sneered, "This makes it so much easier to pick just who I want. But don't worry, the rest of you will just have to wait your turn. There's enough agony for you all!"

"Crystal Freeze!" Kumamon's alignment to Ice rendered the attempt feckless and allowed him to sneak by undetected to blow crystals of ice upon IceDevimon's leg and freeze him to the ground. His distraction also allowed Lӧwemon to get in for a Shadow Lance, however the attempt was all in vain. IceDevimon broke from the ice and took to the sky, leaving us to stare up at him in vexation as he folded himself into his wings, seemingly preparing for something.

My mind tried to comprehend what was going to happen, but nothing could possibly come to mind with the countless number of possibilities. "Be on your guard, guys!" was all I could say, knowing that there wasn't much that Kazemon, Beetlemon, and I could do in our current predicament. We could only stand there and hope the two remaining Warriors could hold their own and beat this guy. Looking to the others captured in the ice, I knew they were aware of the same thing.

The vampire Digimon outspread his wings and hovered high above the base of the Rose Morning Star, but even from this distance, that smirk on his face was still discernible. Lӧwemon's glare shot up to him as he demanded, that courage that was hardly evident in his human state shining through, "Come down and fight unless you want us to come up there to you!" A silence ensued that became a clear signal, and along with Kumamon, Slide Evolved into the Beast State.

"We must stop him now!" Korikakumon snapped open his deep brown eyes and picked up his axes. In a flash, he jumped up, seemingly much to IceDevimon's delight. "Avalanche Axes!" He swiped his axes about at the vampire faster than one could blink, focusing on power more than accuracy, but that mere factor allowed maneuverability to avoid each and every swipe. The Beast of Ice landed to the ground with a boom, frustrated with the opponent's persistence.

JӓgerLӧwemon took his place on the offensive. "Ebony Blast!" A collection of dark energy formed at his mouth and he fired it at IceDevimon, however he blocked the attack with his wing as if it were nothing. _How the hell is he withstanding all of that? It's like this is all a little game to him…_

I cussed out of the corner of my mouth, irritated with how this was all going. I felt useless and to blame that this was going as poorly as it was; if I could've gotten out on the battlefield, I would've been able to help them. My sword had been abandoned by IceDevimon off in the distance and I could just make it out shining in the vague light as if it were purposely trying to mock me. _God, I wish there was something I could do…_ My eyes shifted to Kazemon and Beetlemon; I couldn't make out the words, but I knew they were saying _something_, possibly trying to reassure each other of Koichi and Tommy's abilities, and a part of me wanted to be able to hear those comforting words. Right now, all I could do was wallow in my anxiety.

"Hmm. Now what do you think you're up to? I thought I told you to wait till I was finished with these distractions."

That voice snapped me back into attention, but the owner had moved from his place in the sky to the ground. In a single instant, I was aware of what he was doing, and just who he was trying to torment. A burning rage developed; I would _not_ permit that to happen. I curled my fingers only slightly, causing the spikes on my armor to eject, and began with the most motion the ice would sanction to start scraping it away with the sharp razors.

He reached behind fallen debris and captured Koji and Takuya tight in his fist, satisfied by the contorts of their pain-ridden faces and how their voices cracked. By that twisted, crazed look marred on his face, it seemed like he had wanted them to try to get their D-Tectors to operate from the beginning, just so he could justify malicious _punishment_. He reached one fingertip of his opposite hand to them, the very tip letting out a little flash.

"Don't you dare do anything to them!" I barked, feeling my whole body tense into one raving, livid mass. Collecting myself was impossible now, closing my lips even more so. "If you hurt them, I swear I will throw you through more torture than you could ever concoct, where the only relief is the release of your spirit into the depths of hell."

At my threat, he simply titled his head at me, standing in silence for a moment as if he didn't comprehend what I was saying. But then a macabre leer played onto his face, accompanied by a menacing cackle, "Such words come from you, but I know you won't make a move against me, even if you could get free! The love you have for them—ha ha! Ha-ha!—it's so sweet, it's revolting! It stands in your way from all the bloodshed and suffering—break free and just attack; you know you want to!"

I wanted to pull my eyes away, but something inside of me wouldn't allow me to do so. His tactic of using them as human shields was repulsive and with it, he was toying with all of us. He was trying to convince me it was of no harm to attack, even though it was clear it'd put Koji and Takuya in imminent harm, as if it would suddenly make no difference to me. Why did all of the enemies do this with me? Was it that plainly obvious that I was the weakest link, the one expected to turn away first? Could they just sense that aspect about me, how close I had wandered to their side, that it was simple to manipulate me and push me over that beckoning edge?

He looked back down at the two Warriors, pleased with the development and the complications I was creating for myself. "You know," he began casually, as if he was going to suggest something completely sensible and sane, "I don't really know that much about humans. There are many things I have been curious about." He brought them closer to his face, my body stiffened, and he made a face like he was inspecting them as one would merchandise. "So weak and fragile…" He further clenched his fists, causing them to cry out a sound that almost brought me to tears. "So I propose a little game. Let us see how high of a pain threshold these humans stand and how much _you're _willing to watch them scream."

He placed them on the ground and all around them, a blue dome formed. It flashed a single time with a yellow light—

It took all the will I possessed to turn my face away just as Kazemon called out to IceDevimon, "Fight, you coward!" The curve of her mouth told me everything she was feeling—I didn't have to hear her words or see her eyes to intake it and understand. I could almost see the Italian girl under that armor, ripped apart inside yet bathed in anger. I could imagine those mossy green eyes dilated and teardrops tugging at each of their corners, feel the strength she exuded to keep them from falling.

From his gaze on the Warriors of Light and Flame, to his gaze on Kazemon, his facial expression remained unchanged. "Coward? A coward runs from pain—I _embrace _it." He suddenly shot from his place faster than the blink of an eye and assailed JӓgerLӧwemon and Korikakumon with a single swipe of his arm to knock them off their feet. He then turned to us, his tone filled with taunting and all of its accompanying emotions. "So do you still want to fight?"

"Hey, you let us out of here, and we'll give you a real fight!" Takuya's voice cut through the air like a sharpened blade. In the notes, he still had that same drive that failed to deter him. He held his D-Tector in his grasp, banging both fists against the encasement.

Koji was the exact same way in aura. His jaw set tight and passion emulating from his enmity that could not be daunted. "Yeah, quit stalling and confront us like you should've from the beginning! Embrace your destined pain!"

IceDevimon's head turned in slow motion, his physiognomy devilish. "You already have a fight on your hands. Maybe it's time for you to embrace the pain destined for _you_."

Blue, vein-like projections sprung from the ground under their feet. Koji acted upon reflex and pushed Takuya out of the way, becoming entangled in them as they wrapped around his body. His scream was bathed in torture, wrenching upon every nerve in my being.

"Koji!" I thrust out my arms and shattered the ice withholding me, feeling the loathing overtaking and consuming every sense that I once had control over. Each breath I took shrieked with contempt, shaking my bones with an apprehension far beyond evaluation. My mind coiled around one word, twirling about in possessive desperation to capture it within its clawed grasp, repeating it without rhapsody or loss of meaning, _Die. Die. Die. Die. _

Madness suffocated me; my perception grew dim and blind as everything flashed by. Vision trembled with rough derision; all I knew was the feeling of an all-enveloping flame. Retribution was what was sought—my being palpitated with that craving, that _necessity_, by all means necessary. A cut, a slash, the deliverance of pain. All was a single distortion captured within the gust of untraceable time. My body wouldn't be levied by deterrence, continuation being a word of far too little simplicity. All it fueled upon was a vision of reprisal.

Suddenly, an uncontrollable spiral. The whirl sent me about with inflamed faintness, burning pulsation, and reinstated sight. Cold earth filled spaces between my shaking fingers, but rendered me immobile with a sense of amnesia. But in a blink came clarity, and a hard truth to carry. My gaze set upon a blackness—no, a _Darkness_—that shadowed JӓgerLӧwemon. I could sense merely from the closeness of us the bends of his overwhelming fervor, far more overpowering than my own, yet his eyes were clear with direction, his voice steady and with foundation regardless of all of the battery he received that weakened him, "No one hurts my brother!"

The taste of blood in my mouth delivered reality, the sight of countless gashes across IceDevimon's chest an onslaught of futility. Rage pulled no strings for me in my search for vengeance; my turn had passed. "Koichi…" The change from Polymerization to Beast Spirit I commenced was made for one purpose and one purpose only. I willed my strength to pool together, as it left my loins it left a distinct feeling that a part of me was leaving with it as well. All of it gathered in the silver ring around my tail, inducing a bright glow of countless colors. "Gift of Life!"

My Spirit Evolution disintegrated, but in my hands rested the ring, crackling and shimmering with life and all of the energy my Spirit beheld. Upon the knowledge given by my Spirits, I cast the ring to JӓgerLӧwemon and upon contact with his body, it absorbed through his skin into his being. And with it all of the hope I possessed.

His scars and maladies healed at the connection. He poised himself, power written into his aura. The Dark mist clouding him grew denser and more vibrant a hue at his beast-like roar. He lunged at IceDevimon, who dodged easily, but the real intention had been made clear at its fulfillment. He tackled the dome head-on and shattered it into uncountable shards with the sheer force of impact. His attention was turned instantly, however, to IceDevimon airborne above him.

He was enveloped in a violet and red smog, the red a hue too-closely resembling blood to be coincidence. His mouth was open, the corners curved upward, opening farther and farther with increasing psychosis. His fangs seemed to grow longer and his eyes swirling into a shade like red wine. "I hope you are well-prepared. I want your last battle to be memorable; I want to take every little ounce of strength from your body as you fall into the sweet abyss of death!"

The Beast of Darkness growled and sprung up at IceDevimon. At the closeness of him, the vampire wrapped his wings around him and created a tall, pillar of white wind to surround them while inside, they commenced their struggle. There were flashes of light, but no way to see what was happening in there, let alone who possessed the upper hand. I could only hope and pray it was Koichi. He had that look in his eyes; I knew he'd go full-force at his opponent. Or die trying.

The twister suddenly shattered, JӓgerLӧwemon dropping to the ground near Korikakumon, and the Dark aura about him faded. Above him, IceDevimon guffawed stridently and landed on the ground just before the Darkness Beast's head. Korikakumon poised himself, calling out to his comrade, "JӓgerLӧwemon!"

"I'm fine," he responded gruffly, pulling himself back up onto his paws, shakily at first, but with moments passing, more assuredly. He turned his head and eyed him with a fierce gaze that demanded full respect and attention. "You go free the others!"

As JӓgerLӧwemon leapt up at IceDevimon once again, Korikakumon went to Kazemon and Beetlemon. With his axes he shattered the ice that held them in place, and they took to the air, expressing conviction as they Slide Evolved into their Beast forms as well. Now, I knew, was when things were going to get much more interesting. My eyes were locked on the scene as walked to the other two un-Evolved Warriors. "You two better watch this," I retorted, a smile escaping as I peered at them out of the corner of my eye. "IceDevimon is about to get the butt-whooping of his life."

The vampire didn't seem to think so, however. He sneered at them, his words holding all notes of taunting, "It amuses how you think this will stop me. But don't worry; I always enjoy destroying many rather than just a few."

JӓgerLӧwemon spoke from behind him, the aura again beginning to emulate from his form, flaring more and more like an unstoppable inferno. "Too bad only one will be destroyed. And unfortunately for you, you're that one." His eyes sparked, a signal to his friends to begin.

Korikakumon blew a small scream of snow from his mouth, then Zephyrmon swooped down, spinning to make her body a twister, and touched it to make it a powerful gust of freezing wind. It encapsulated IceDevimon to keep him from seeing just how close MetalKabuterimon was with his cannon positioned. So when he suddenly became aware of his impending doom, the android Beast already had finished charging the Electron Cannon. With a deafening boom, the tower of wind burst in the same manner that a light bulb would explode. All that was left was IceDevimon in a state of panic, staring at his large hands as brilliantly-hued cracks began to form about his body.

"No! This can't be it! This can't be happening!" His body trembled, in a state of denial. "It's impossible that a bunch of human children defeat me! You are nothing! What could you have possibly harnessed to do this?!"

The aura enveloping JӓgerLӧwemon was filled with red lights. They twisted around and around as they merged, coming to agreement and full dint. "What we have harnessed is the power of friendship! A power you could never understand!" He jumped up, a shining silhouette of a lion overshadowing him, and he let out a roar. "Dark Master!" He ripped through IceDevimon's chest to the other side. Landing with fluidity and turning back to the enemy, he wasted no time in Slide Evolving to scan the fiend's Data. "IceDevimon, your Data has been in long need of purification!" The D-Tector in his hands slid across the revealed Fractal Code, sparks shooting out at the contact. "Fractal Code! Digitize!"

The ring of Data surrounding IceDevimon was absorbed and it left the DigiEgg suspended in a pure state. I watched it for a moment shimmering in the air. _Hopefully when he hatches again, he'll never witness the hand of evil again, let alone take part in its path of corruption…_ It floated up and out of sight, to where it needed to go. _His heart was shut so tight that he couldn't grasp what bonded all of the Warriors together. He couldn't understand friendship—he worked to cause suffering between those who loved each other. He had fallen so far…_ I looked at Koji and Takuya, giving them each a small smile. _But when he's reborn, I'm sure he'll understand every bit of it._

The instant I saw Lӧwemon fall to his hands and knees and De-Spirit Evolve, Koji was already making his way over to him. For a moment, he only watched his older twin catch his breath, but when he eventually regained it and looked up at him, he held out his hand and broke into a smile. I could hear the faintest sound of a chortle as his brother took his hand and got to his feet. I had never heard in chuckle in such a manner before, nor had I ever seen that unmistakable glimmer in his eyes.

The others De-Spirit Evolved as well while Takuya crossed his arms and huffed, a grin beginning to make its way out onto his face. There was no oversight of how satisfied he appeared. "Well, I gotta say. After that performance, Koichi, you are _definitely _one of us."

JP took this opportunity to chant in a cryptic manner, "One of us, one of us, one of us…"

Zoe didn't hesitate for a second to jab him in the side with her elbow to shut him up, but said nothing regarding his total absurdity. Instead, she followed suit of everyone else and began to beam. "Welcome to the team, Koichi!"

"The team that fights the bad guys, always is searching for food, and throws low blows at each other," I continued in jest. "Yup, you'll love it."

Interrupting us was the sound of Takuya and Koji's D-Tectors. For a second I thought they were smoking or something like they spontaneously combusted, but then I saw the ice covering them melt. Along with them, the ice pillars that had arisen also began to melt as quick as if they were sitting in a frying pan. With this newest development, Bokomon was ready with information about it, "With IceDevimon gone, his power on the ice is losing its hold as well. I'll consider that a job well done!"

Takuya threw his hands onto his hips tight in determined fists. "Well then, this is a perfect time for a victory dance!" He pumped a fist into the air and looked to me with excitement ignited in his eyes. "Care to join me, Miri?"

"Taky…" I sighed and narrowed my eyes. "Bite me."

Apparently that left an opening to persist with other options. "A victory song?"

"No."

"A victory cheer?"

"No."

"A victory hug?—oh wait, I forgot that you reserve those for Koji."

"Hell n—wait, what?!" My double-take made him snicker and I felt my face burn like his Element. I hated it when he pulled crap like that. Especially when he was right.

So now was the opportune time to try to beat the crap out of him.


	39. Chapter 37

**A/N: Yaaay finally finished! I'm so happy I got this done in less than two month's time! I put a lot of hours into this the last few days because I wanted to finish it before the weekend was up. And despite totally rushing, I'm pretty content with how it all turned out, especially towards the end.**

**Okayz, so now random news crap! Early on as I was writing this chappie, I needed some references from older chapters and I realized just how much my older writing sucks. *shot'd* And how much Mirai annoyed me. I can totally see why some people hated her character; her dialogue is so blah...**

**So my question is: Would anyone like me to go back and change some things in the first like twenty chapters or so? I can do a lot of proofing and then do typo issues with later chapters. A part of me is hesitant to do it, though, since just by looking at this fic, you can see just how my writing developed. **

**Uhh...I really can't remember what else I had to say... Uhh...**

**Well anyway, next chapter is where the Royal Knights show up! And episode 38 is probably the most blah episode ever, since it's mostly conversation crap (so I really have no idea how long that chapter is gonna be). But after that is the moon episode! Yay! Can't wait for that one!**

**Oh yes, and since I can't really find a spot to add the song Wherever You Will Go into my fic (I was originally gonna add it in the epilogue, but I changed what I'm gonna do for the ending and picked new songs), I put the fic's title in this story as Mirai's dialogue! Look out for it! :)**

**And finally, thanks to all of my sweet friends who PM'ed me and such, and thanks to you people who constantly R&R (or just R! XD) my works! So now I hope you enjoy the newest addition to Wherever You Will Go!**

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Chapter 37

_Apparently_ good things can't last here in the Digital World. Just as we thought maybe we'd get a good break, a dark wind picked up. Our eyes all turned upwards at what seemed to be a little…what was it? A building? Chamber? Floaty-house-thing? Regardless, it was the very tip of the Rose Morning Star where rotating, brilliantly-glowing panels were located, atop where the rest of the now-fallen tower had been. And it was now the place where long streams of Data were going; for what reason, I had no idea, but this was the proof needed to convince us that Cherubimon was indeed still alive—the news needed, since Zoe and I knew not what had taken place while we were gone—and capable of whatever schemes he was concocting. Therefore, the Data-sucking must not have been a good thing.

Especially when a part of the chamber-thing disintegrated as if it were an outer shell, leaving this little pod-like structure.

Takuya fingered his D-Tector, not looking down at it in his hand as he did so, but instead, his gaze moving about to look at each of us. "Well, it looks like it's not over yet, guys!" I didn't hear optimism or such jocund manners that were typical for him; it was all sheer determination of his big brother instincts beginning to put a chokehold on him. "But we'll take him down. For Ophanimon." _In other words, for the love of the one we're about to go off and fight…_

For Neemon, this was apparently the most opportune time to lighten the mood…or do…whatever he was trying to do. We could never be certain what his intentions really were. "Ooh, look at those pretty floaty-thingies!"

"Sorry to burst your blissful bubble of imbecility," Bokomon began with a voice nothing short of curt, sending his Digimon comrade an are-you-stupid look with a matching as-a-matter-of-factly note, "but those are not _thingies_."

This conversation, I soon figured out, wasn't and probably would not go anywhere in the foreseeable future. My intellect couldn't possibly prognosticate where this could become an intelligent talk between the inhabitants of this world, especially as one yellow, pants-wearing bunny Digimon put his hands on his hips (which were visibly nonexistent as his body, drawn geometrically, was nothing more than an elongated rectangle topped with a circle and a couple of skewed diamonds) and retorted back, "Oh _yeah_? Then what are they? Hmm?"

The face Bokomon made when confronted with this question that had been oh-so perfectly executed almost had made me laugh. The quick changes from being caught completely off-guard to the shifting of his eyes when he searched desperately for an answer were a little less than subtle. He quickly set his gaze on the panels above us that seemed to be increasing their speed of rotation. "Well…um…I don't know, but see, thingies do not glow!" _Good cover there, Bokomon. Did you get that little piece of information from your green book?_

"Oh…okay!"

_Well, he was satisfied quickly_, I stated to myself. But that was little of my concern. My eyes were locked into place at the little pod above and the Fractal Code streaming at double-rate into that single space. My fingers gingerly held tight to where the ice had ripped open my shoulder while the thought of evil spun about in my head. Its clawed hands and the image of it reaching out, harming the ones I cared for—no, the ones I _loved_ made my heart throb. _No…_ My hand slid back down to its proper side with accompanying thoughts. _I'm not going to let that happen…_

I took a moment to look at all of the other Warriors on either side of me. I saw the identical looks on each of their faces. They were having the same thoughts that I was.

"Whatever it is," Takuya started to state, just as many more streams of Data began to flood in as if his voice was a trigger of some sort. He tightened his gaze as he watched it, the colors of the rivers of Fractal Code reflecting in his eyes. "It's sure sucking up a lot of Data."

Without any sort of noticeable impetus, the air let out a distorted wave, the ground under us shook, and the debris from the fallen Rose Morning Star began pulling up from its place on the ground up towards Cherubimon's little floating hideout. They floated up towards it for no predictable reasoning, but the look I then noticed on Koichi's face made me think he knew about something within all of this. His navy irises were stone-like as he said, "He's plotting something up there; I can feel it."

_Well, there goes that. He's pretty much as clueless as we are. Dandy._ I crossed my arms across my chest and huffed as Zoe put her hands on her hips, not being afraid to speak her mind which also happened to be the common consensus here, "Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I've had just about enough of that guy."

Another warp rippled through the area and the rocks continued to move upwards towards the Rose Morning Star. Wave after wave flowed through space and seemed to be increasing in rate. A boom echoed off in the distance. The alarmed looks on our face confirmed to Bokomon that his knowledge was much needed, so he decided to throw out his hypothesis for our criticism, acceptance, or denial, "Apparently, the space and the gravity Data is being affected by some sort of…" He squinted his eyes, scrutinizing the distortions appearing, "…energy warp…"

And here came Neemon's two cents, "_Or_, by those glowing thingies!"

It didn't take someone with acute observation skills to hear the sound of annoyed exasperation fresh in Bokomon's tone. His narrowed eyes also assisted his currently mood quite nicely. "Neemon, would you please stop it with your "thingy", uh… thingy!" _I don't know whether or not to call that hypocrisy. _

Neemon didn't make a response to this; rather, Koji interrupted their "conversation" with his voice intense, his crystalline eyes locked up into the distance where Cherubimon was waiting, "I think it's time to finish this once and for all, before any more of the Digital World suffers. How 'bout it? Are you with me?" He turned his head back, his bangs swishing delicately across his cheeks, and looked critically at Takuya, who seemed caught off-guard by the sudden change of mood.

I think Takuya still hadn't completely recovered from the sporadic, serious question asked of him, one, because of that stupefied look on his face, and two, because he didn't exactly sound confident with the response that sort of just fell out of his mouth, "Uhh-huh…I guess…we…have to do something, right?" It looked as if he had completely forgotten why he'd come here; sort of what he looked like when he tried to Spirit Evolve back at Flame Terminal when I'd first seen him here.

Koji, however, seemed either to be unfazed by his friend's uncertainty or just be too caught up in his own little bubble of coolness to notice. "Definitely. And you and I are the only ones who can do it—with our Unified Spirits."

I held up my index finger. "Objection." I waited for those beautiful blue eyes to lock with mine to continue. "I may not have a Unified Spirit like you guys do, but I still have my Polymerization Spirit to utilize. It may not be as strong as either EmperorGreymon or MagnaGarurumon, but I can still lay hits on him with it. I refuse to stand back when there's clearly something I can do besides just watch you go off and risk your lives—it's just not right." This is about the stage where I began to rant. "I feel like I haven't done my duty here yet, like there's so much I've slacked off on up to now. I don't want to be the useless Warrior that gives only one percent and walks along the boundary between good and evil—I don't want to be that person again. I want to make up for everything I've done—I want to repay everyone that returned my hate with love and compassion. I _refuse_ to do nothing. So if you try to keep me away from that battlefield, I'm gonna—"

As soon as Koji put two fingers to my lips, I knew I was supposed to shut up. He didn't look annoyed or angry or anything; rather, he was smiling, and once again I was reminded just how much I loved it when that boy smiled. "If you want to fight, who are we to stop you?" he questioned simply. It was as if that seriousness he held moments before had never existed.

Takuya gave me a playful punch on the shoulder, beginning to grin when I turned my gaze towards him. "Yeah, Miri, if you wanna help us kick Cherubimon's oversized behind, by all means! We'll be like the Three Musketeers! Pretty awesome, huh?" He gave me a you-know-it's-true nod, a wry smirk supporting him all the way. "We so got this, guys. Cherubimon's probably up in his little hideout writing his will and saying his prayers right now."

Cracking a smile, I shook my head while muttering, "You dork."

JP cleared his throat loudly, a not-so inconspicuous way to say that he was about to say something that he deemed important. "Well, alrighty then! Now that that's settled…" And then trailed off there. _Is that it? No anything? Just noting that we made a decision? All right…_

Zoe realized that the Warrior of Thunder wasn't going to say anything more, so decided now to put her words in, hopefully a little bit more meaningful than the words before. "Win this battle, and you could save the Digital World!" Her grassy irises burst with anticipation, the meaning of her words outweighing the words themselves. She had put that image in my head, the image of the whole world being restored to what it once was before Cherubimon's rise to power, and filled me with anticipation identical to hers.

I could see from the look that appeared on Takuya's physiognomy that he had the same picture in his mind as I did. "Yeah...! We really could, couldn't we?" His voice was filled with awe at the revelation. I could hardly recognize that emotion flickering within his chocolate-hued orbs; it seemed so new, so…so…virtuous.

Tommy came over, his expression bright like a little kid flying down stairs on Christmas morning. "You bet!" He laughed and held out a peace sign with his fingers. I wasn't certain if he was actually aware of this, but there was a lot of meaning in that little gesture. We weren't just fighting to save the Digital World—we were fighting for _peace_. Walking about in a place like this really put some meaning in that word. Ever since we arrived, we faced death and sufferings all around us, and now that thought that we could actually end it… I couldn't find any words to describe the feelings that that thought created inside my head. So whether or not the little Warrior of Ice knew exactly what he was implying with that symbol, it still held more meaning than almost any other thing I'd ever seen.

"Well, I'm game if you are!" Takuya looked from Koji to me, expecting a response as felicitous as his.

Koji didn't give the reply the Warrior of Flame was looking for and took time to look at all of the Warriors. After a pause, he then questioned, "You guys don't mind…staying behind?" _Ha ha ha, I must be the corrupt, rebellious one that tries to cheat the system by making them let me go._

JP propped his fists up onto his hips and gave Koji a distinct look that seemed to ask the ebony-haired boy what he was smoking. "Aw, c'mon! Why would we mind? We're not dense like Mirai—" _Gee, thanks. _"—we realize we would have to go out and risk our tails fighting Cherubimon." He noticed the frown I was giving him and offered me a peace treaty smile. "Besides, you guys are the only ones strong enough, but don't worry—we'll be right here rootin' for ya!"

The Warrior of Light's eyes widened at the remark. "Wow, I'm touched." _I'm not. _

I didn't exactly anticipate what ensued next. JP rolled his eyes, scowled, and then approached Koji, mocking his words with a weird-sounding, "I'm _touched_. Touch _this_." _Woah, dude, that sounded _so_ pervy…_ He walked up to the poor boy and put his hand on his shoulder before leaning over and putting a hand on his chest. _Uhh…rape?_ From there, he grabbed hold of both shoulders and went around his back. Apparently Koji found it necessary to beam slightly at the notion. "Just remember, pally, if you lose, you have to answer to me!"

Koji gave a half-nod and gave an open-mouthed smile. "Right…" _Actually if we lose, we have to answer to death._

"Yeeeah, baby!" With one arm slung around the Warrior of Light, he thrust the other around Takuya's shoulders and pulled them both close a little bit like a creeper. By the sound the gogglehead made, it was clear that the wind was knocked out of him from this act of chumminess. I for one was highly grateful that I had backed up, as I simply refused to get in on…that. "I'm glad to hear it, men! And we'll all celebrate once you've won!"

Patamon flew over, his countenance lit with sheer felicity. "Yeah, when you defeat Cherubimon, I'm going to cook a big yummy dinner for everybody!" Aside the fact that we were going to get lots and lots of food after our battle, my first thought dealt with the conundrum of how such a small creature would be able to make dinner for seven humans and three Digimon with those tiny paws doing all that work. For one thing, the oven mitts would be far too large.

Zoe then strode up, her finger pressed to her mouth as she displayed a head-in-the-clouds expression. "I want to contribute something…" She almost sounded worried that she wouldn't be able to provide anything good for us, but then that was quickly replaced with a smile and an enlightened tone. Her face was set alight in a pinkish hue. "I know! When you win, you can take me out on a date!" _Uh, this doesn't apply to me…right?_

JP, obviously, was very alarmed at this. Maybe now he was thinking it was a good idea to go into battle so he could cash in on the Zoe time afterwards. "Whaa~!" I could just see her words taking physical form as a javelin and repeatedly stabbing him tauntingly. Poor dude never even had a chance…

But the Warrior of Thunder wasn't of my current concern. My eyes instantly traced over to Takuya and my examination of his face instantly began. His expression was almost inscrutable; it was so packed with a barrage of emotions it was so hard to separate them into their individual classes. But some aspects, I knew I could recognize with ease from my own experience, but there were others that seemed to evade me of meaning. He continuously seemed to do that to me whenever I tried to interpret his unique, new, facial displays just so it'd make it all the harder for me to figure out just what he was thinking about and how he was feeling. I wasn't exactly certain where he learned all of these creative ways of muddling me up, especially these faces that I used to be able to interpret curve for curve, but he certainly now knew how to get me all nebulous. It was the exactly that way now, but within in all of that perplexing stuff, I did see something I knew all-too well.

The rosiness that tinged his cheeks.

My thoughts and the intense examination of my surrogate brother were abruptly halted by an extremely disturbing display by one overly-excited Warrior of Ice. He puckered his lips and made a kissy face while making out the words, "Yeah, and I'm going to give you both a great big kiss on the cheek!"_ I think my ears are bleeding from all the gayness floating around…_

"That's just wrong…" Koji and Takuya's simultaneous response, along with their disturbed expressions that looked a bit horrified more than anything, made me almost laugh. I had to struggle to keep my composure. Their faces were just so dumb that I almost couldn't take it.

It got better when Bokomon walked over, dragging Neemon by his waistband and saying in his very informational voice, "I'm going to knit you both matching waistbands to look exactly like mine!" Even the observation that he actually sounded quite serious with that, I couldn't think of anything much better than the image of Koji wearing that ring of pinkness as a crown. It was just… just…too perfect. And far too amusing to just let it pass. I found myself laughing. Laughing even more than I anticipated when I had decided to allow myself to reveal such an emotion. I almost couldn't take it; I wasn't exactly _dying_ laughing but I was laughing loud enough for everyone else to notice.

At the sound and sight of my amusement, Patamon's face lit up like he had just found the golden ticket to the Wonka Chocolate Factory in the wrapper of his chocolate bar. "Mi-chan!" He giggled and flew into my arms, causing me to cease my laughing and just stare down at him in vexation. "You have such a sweet laugh!" He peered up at me with his big, blue eyes, smiling with jocund. "Do it more please! I like to see you happy!"

His words made my eyes scatter from him, going about to anything but back down to him. Heat was beginning to overtake my ears and I hoped that everyone wasn't looking at me because of Patamon's remark. Unfortunately, I should've hoped a bit more because they were all looking at me in a very amused manner. I scowled at each one of them, whining, "Stop smiling! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" I narrowed my eyes and glared down at the ground, muttering from the corner of my mouth, "I don't like it when people stare at me like that…"

Zoe let out a giggle and came over next to me. "It's just so hard not to when you're so cute!" At first I thought she was going to pat me on the head or something, but instead looked over at Koji and questioned slyly, "Right, Koji?" When all he did in response was let out a groan, she turned her face back to me. "I think that when you guys win and we get back to the real world, I'm going to take you out shopping! You'd look cute with a beanie!"

I wasn't sure what that had to do with anything, but I really didn't feel like taking the time to ask. A part of me just didn't want to care, but that new little side of me just didn't want to make her feel bad, so I was just standing there awkwardly trying to decide which part of me to listen to. Yeah. That was a great plan.

Although, _conveniently_, Koichi diverted the attention from me to himself and a moment he was about to create between him and his younger brother. And once again, it brought the rest of us to silence so that we could eavesdrop without any sort of distraction. "Koji. Before you go," he began levelly, approaching Koji with his eyes glimmering more than Edward Cullen caught in front of a strobe light, "there's something I need to tell you."

In response, the Warrior of Light revealed a smile. Damn that smile. Got me every time, even when he wasn't directing it to me, leaving me totally at a loss of mental function. "Mm? What is it, Koichi?"

The eldest twin returned the smile. Not as cheerful, but nonetheless, the resemblance was there, far beyond their physical similarities that were simply unmistakable. "You can do this." A confident nod was given him and beckoned him to go on. "I believe in you…Brother." _Aww. I'll even admit that's sweet…_

But then in a tone that implied too much sentiment, Takuya cut in, "Okay." _Way to spoil a moment, Kanbara._ "Well, then!" He stepped in only just to walk off again. _I want to know the point of that little strut-thing you just did there…_ He then thrust his hands up onto his hips and turned back toward us. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be! How 'bout it, guys? Ready to take on the biggest baddie that's dared mess with the Legendary Warriors?"

Koji returned the confidence with a distinct amount of pleasure. "Oh yeah!" His eyes tilted upward at the location that would soon become a battlefield. The assurance of victory was loose on his tongue. "Now let's go make some history."

I pumped a fist, suddenly psyched from no known impetus, and decided it was okay to grin. I was so excited that I was beginning to wonder if I was getting sick or something, since this really didn't seem at all normal for me, especially since we were just about to head into a big fight—moreover, the _biggest_ fight—that might do more than add to our vast collection of battle scars. "Yeah! It's gonna be _our_ faces drawn horribly in the green book now!"

"Then go already!" JP interjected. _Gee, thanks for _that_ sentiment. _"I've got some rootin' to do!"

Crossing my arms and sending him a scrutinizing smirk, I retorted, "You know, I've never seen anyone so excited to cheer and I've seen some _very_ motivated cheerleaders in my time." He opened his mouth, but I was quick to interpret what he was going to say. "Yes, I just said 'in my time'. Don't ask me why, because I'm really not sure myself." My voice went down to a mutter with my last words, "It's not like I'm old…" And then I went on with illegible mutters that I wasn't even sure the meaning of.

Takuya gave me a look I totally deserved for my latest moment. "You about done, Miri?" One eyebrow was curved in a rather funky way, and if his goal was to make his face look all around a bit idiotic, then the mission was achieved.

But I was too caught up with being amused by his face to realize right away that he had actually asked me a question, so it took me a few moments longer than it should've for it to click, let alone to give a proper response. "What? Oh. Yeah, yeah." I absentmindedly waved fingers at him as a gesture for him to dismiss how scatterbrained I had been at that instant, but he didn't look like he was going to any time soon. "Sorry, I was too distracted by the stupid on your face."

He was unimpressed by my reply, but nonetheless, when he pulled out his D-Tector, none of us hesitated to follow suit. Instantly the atmosphere around us warped. In a single moment we had changed from kids that were joking around about something so serious to people so much older that understood every aspect and detail for which we stood. Even though I was one of these that had made that sudden change, I still couldn't determine exactly what it was that did it. Maybe it was the Digimon inside that made a beckoning call when the time came and drew us into austere countenance. The instinct that they gave us, something so incendiary that the blaze was far too bright to see through.

"We're coming for you, Cherubimon!" Koji ground his teeth in a way that created a grin that I'd expect would be more likely to come from Takuya than him. It was just beginning to show that everyone was rubbing off on each other and we were growing all the closer.

My fingers gingerly ran along the sides of my Digivice as I looked in the same direction as the Warrior of Light, also directing my words to our enemy as if he could possibly hear me from that distance. "Better prepare yourself. But it's not like it's gonna make any difference either way." _It's not going to change what has to be done…_ My mind instantly reflected back to what had caused Cherubimon to fall this far in the first place, but I shook away that sympathetic feeling. _It just doesn't matter anymore. He's incapable of feeling anything other than rage now._

Takuya's face was stoic, but as he turned to look at all of the Warriors that weren't about to partake in battle, he let loose the smallest of smiles. "I don't know what's going to happen up there, but I _do_ know we'll need you guys to believe in us with everything you've got. You up for that?"

My mind flashed back to our battle with Duskmon, that first encounter with Koichi's evil Spirit of Darkness. Those moments when the other Warriors were losing and he looked to me, his eyes set aglow with sick pleasure, chortling and saying words that rang within me, "_You blind human. If only you had seen before. Maybe your _friends_ would have had more of a fighting chance if you just believed in them. It's your fault for them being so weak; you found a reason not to have faith. Humanly weakness._"

Now I knew just what this _faith_ that Duskmon mentioned could do, how much force it really possessed as long as you had it. It was what was produced from the friendship and bondage between us, and it could make us as powerful as we needed so that we could knock down any walls towering up before us. I was stupid to not see it before, and it made me regret so much of the first part of our time here where I stood aside and did nothing. There was a distinct side to me that wondered just what had controlled me into thinking not fighting at a time like this was actually _acceptable_. But the another side had an answer, an answer I hated hearing, since it made me seem just as evil as the Digimon we'd been fighting all along.

But this _faith_, this power that was contained in each one of us… because of it, we would triumph. I was certain of that. The battle ahead wasn't clear; there was no way to see just how many scars it'd give us or how many times it would drop us to our knees. _But we're Legendary Warriors…_ My gaze tightened. _…We get back up._

"Let's bring peace…" Takuya's voice dropped to a level note and his face contained complete solemnity. This was one trait I didn't see often, one so unlike him that it was like a whole new person had taken over inside him. But it was also what made him such a formidable leader that had taken us so far and looked out for us time after time. It was what fought for me in Sakkakumon and for Koji against his brother and so many things I just couldn't begin to list. "…back to this world."

"Cherubimon won't go down without a fight, so let's all give it our all no matter if the outcome seems grim." I looked to Takuya and then to Koji. "You guys lead, I'll follow. My Spirit may not be as strong as you guys', but all we need is a little teamwork." I surprised myself with a grin. "And if you guys need a distraction, I'm all ears since Ryoushinmon's got some good speed and maneuverability. I'll go…" I gave them a thumbs-up and cocked my head slightly, feeling my bangs swish across my face. "…wherever you will go!"

I studied the smile that Koji gave me at my words, trying to memorize and capture it within my mind. "This could be our last battle, and I can't think of better people to be fighting it with." His smile turned slightly wry and his fingers turned his D-Tector about in his hand. "We've come a long way just to get to this point…"

"So we probably shouldn't screw it up, then, right?" Takuya retorted snottily. That part of me that wanted to hit him was too busy chortling at his remark. And even Koji was amused enough to agree to our leader's choice of phrasing. Because his bluntness was just a way of telling the distinct truth.

I pressed my fingertips to the space in between my eyes and shook my head, but still couldn't keep the smirk away. "Idiot." I took one of both his and Koji's wrist and pulled them along behind me. "But that's enough chitchat. We have a Digital World to save." I then decided to conveniently add a distinct deviousness to my gaze and equally into my voice. "Unless you were just yakking because secretly you're scared outta your wits…?"

The Warrior of Light to my right chuckled, but the Warrior of Flame to my left defended himself smugly, "Ha! In your dreams maybe!"

_Oh really? _I challenged him with my eyes, releasing my grip on their wrists and put my D-Tector up with my fingers sliding around its edges. I could see my battle-scarred reflection in the screen, but I knew such blemishes weren't making me weak. And he of all people should've known it as well. _Prove it._

In those moments following our Spirit Evolutions, it seemed like it was an act of proving it to each other. Even as Ryoushinmon, even as I saw MagnaGarurumon and EmperorGreymon standing beside me, I had to admit to myself that I had a little bit of fear. There had to be _some_ reason that Ophanimon and Seraphimon couldn't defeat him, and there had to be even more reason that Ophanimon called out to _us_, some sort of limitation that only _we_ could surpass.

It was a little daunting, honestly. No, far beyond daunting. There was always the possibility of a mistake's existence—what if we were confused with some other human children and we _weren't_ the ones destined to defeat Cherubimon and liberate the Digital World from evil? What could we possibly do then? It wasn't as though we could change Fate to convince it that we could do anything that any other children—any children of any other space or time that could harness the power granted by the Digital World, within our methods of bonding with Digimon or not—could possibly achieve, right?

The answer eluded me, but I decided that was a topic for another time. _Different DigiDestined…_ I mused with a smile. _Yeah. As if._

We took to the air, moving quickly towards our place of battle, and I spotted the others running below us, waving arms and such about at us and shouting words of encouragement that I could barely make out from the distance that lied between us. Though their exact words were unclear to me, regardless, their meaning still stood firm. Although in the midst of all of this, I was pretty sure I caught ear of Neemon say something about toast.

We landed on a large rock that was floating about nearby. The rotating protrusions (or as Neemon had called them "glowing thingies") ceased their spinning and glowing as if they knew that we were drawing closer. EmperorGreymon noted this while also adding, his eyes rigid, "I think he knows we're here…"

I almost felt an urge to roll my eyes at this, despite how serious he was being with everything, but I decided to withhold that particular thing and instead just resort to saying flatly, "Well, it's not like we tried to hide at all. We flew in a _straight_ line _right_ for him."

It was almost certain that the Warrior of Flame would've responded back, had he not been cut off by echoing laughter. My eyes flashed over and locked on Cherubimon, his face smug and in his hand he held a sphere of Fractal Code. "So…you've come back to play… you may have lived a little longer had you _not_." He began to approach, and with each movement the orb within his left hand flickered like a small flame being blown by a breeze. "Take a look, foolish children. Do you know what this is?"

We all held our tongues. I was certain MagnaGarurumon and EmperorGreymon knew what that was just as well as I did, but smarting off to the anti-Celestial didn't seem like the best idea at the time since the options of the things he could do with that thing were practically endless.

"Well?" Judging by his tone, he wasn't at all curious to hear an answer come his way from our direction. He just wanted an excuse to gloat about his achievements, I assumed. "Then let me enlighten you. This orb in my possession contains all the Data I have collected from the Digital World." _Yup, all he's doing is bragging to us. Is he really that confident of victory that he's going to rub in our faces the fact that he has a shiny ball in his hand?_

MagnaGarurumon was less than impressed, that was rather simple to see. "But why? What are you planning to do with it?"

Cherubimon's response was nothing short of as-a-matter-of-factly. In actuality, I'd never thought of a Digimon such as Cherubimon, the corrupted Celestial that had sent his minions to throw us into hell, say something so blunt. "Make it a part of me."

I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes, huffing as I did so. "Well, that sounds…painful."

EmperorGreymon beside me openly ignored my statement and kept his gaze aligned to Cherubimon. His fingers ran close to his sword, just in case the evil Digimon decided that it was a pleasant time to show us what he was referring to. "Er, great! What does _that_ mean, then?"

"He's insane," MagnaGarurumon responded so blandly that I couldn't tell if he was being serious or not. It didn't seem like a time that Koji of all people would crack a joke, but honestly, his wording made it sound like he was trying to.

Regardless, Cherubimon laughed at his response, whether the Warrior of Light meant it in a joking manner or not. Although I was pretty sure that Cherubimon was laughing only because of the absolute truth that it contained. "Yes, perhaps I am. But once I've assimilated this compressed Data, I will be invincible! It won't matter either way how sane I appear to you because it's only a matter of time that you bow down before me from the grave when you aren't able to hold opinion against me."

"You're right," I began, looking at MagnaGarurumon and cracking my knuckles mindlessly, "He _is_ insane."

Apparently hearing me, Cherubimon again let out a loud cackle. He held up the sphere and it levitated above his fingertips before slipping soundlessly through his forehead. His twisted smirk turned instantly into a grimace. "It is done!" He was enflamed with a purple energy and because of it, he suddenly seemed so much more intimidating than the preceding moments. "And now I shall relieve you of your Legendary Spirits! You have wasted their power for far too long!"

"Really?" I almost smirked at MagnaGarurumon's rhetorical, statement-like inquiry; I could hear Koji so well behind that armor. "Then let's waste some more of their power on you!" Despite the cheesiness of the phrase, EmperorGreymon and I took that as a signal to get moving, so we followed his lead into the fray. Or…whatever this was. I wasn't even certain what was going on anymore. "Magna Missles!" He threw some of his firearms out before him and fired a constant barrage of rounds, sparks flying from the ends of the barrels.

Our opponent, however, seemed _too_ eager to have battle initiated, and even more eager that he was being shot at. His maneuvering was simple, as he just jumped down toward us and began his descent. In fact, he was even laughing as he did so. It was then EmperorGreymon came in and handed him a swift uppercut, and as he was sent reeling, I used Manifold Cataclysm. I threw the orbs of energy at him, and while they hit him directly since my opportunity was perfect, it seemed that all it did was just ricochet right off harmlessly. _That's unfair._

The frustration wafting off of the Warrior of Light was a bit more than obvious. He swooped in and flew straight at Cherubimon, who just floated there waiting for him. "Magna Rocket!" He fired madly, but his target took shelter behind a large floating boulder that took every blow until it blew into pieces and MagnaGarurumon ran out of ammo. As he went back to us, his eyes were enflamed with pure aggravation. "Damn it! What's with this guy?!"

"Whoa, calm down, buddy." His Flame teammate almost seemed a little amused with his lack of patience, but moreover, seemed to be getting a little bit annoyed as well. "Did you really think beating this guy would be that easy?" _Who knew Takuya would be Koji's voice of reason?_

"Yeah, if it was really that simple, then there wouldn't have been a need for all three of us to be here," I added, trying to throw in a little bit of humor, but keeping it subtle enough that I wouldn't receive a weird look. After all, this was definitely no time to be laughing, but on the other hand, it was a good time for positive thinking. I figured it'd probably be easiest to throw this guy in the trash if we all knew that we could do it in the first place.

"You're right." The jackal-designed Warrior looked away from us and onto Cherubimon, who was putting himself into position. It was impossible to know what he was going to do at this point. "We need to get focused here!"

Suddenly I felt like grinning. I couldn't stop myself. Maybe it was because everyone suddenly became very hyped about the battle, but something was making me beam. "And now I think it's time to bring out the big guns!" I almost laughed at the look that I received from MagnaGarurumon; after all, he was the one here with all of the firearms. Takuya and I had swords, but when you wanted big guns, Koji was the one to go to when it came to the Legendary Warriors.

In EmperorGreymon's eyes I could see a bit amusement, but within that, a strategizing mind. "Yeah, and I think I have an idea how to do that."

By this time, Cherubimon had done all the preparing in the world and now was time for him to release his wrath. He stood upon a large rock and held his hands up to the stark sky. His voice cried out, "Storm of Judgment!" All around him black lightning struck down from the dark clouds. The lightning was eerie, an endless black forming each one with a crimson glow outlining them. There wasn't much we could do to counteract such a move, but dodge around and hope that we didn't get hit. He didn't seem irritated that he didn't hit us; actually he seemed rather pleased we were still here to toy with. "Lightning Spear!" A long lightning bolt formed in his hands, a vibrant red.

He threw it with expert precision, bolt after bolt. It was now that EmperorGreymon and I had to draw our swords, slashing at each spear he sent our direction. Neither us nor our adversary were getting anywhere with this sort of tactic. We weren't getting any closer and he wasn't inflicting any damage. This battle that we had been prepping for since the very start had hit a standstill. For a while, I didn't believe it was happening, but it led me to gain a bit more confidence, since it meant one thing.

We were matched with him. Therefore, we could _beat him_.

Cherubimon then ceased his attack to lunge at us, pushing off the rock he was on to gain momentum. I didn't have much time to read his expression, but saw what was clearly etched in his eyes. That consuming, all-too familiar look of madness. It craved spilled blood. No matter how many times I had laid my eyes on the expression on so many Digimon, I never grew used to it; it was something that wasn't possible to become adjusted to. It was almost impossible to wrap my mind around the concept that he didn't care about how many beings he sent to their deaths.

"He's pretty quick," MagnaGarurumon noted, poising. "I'll drive him this way—back me up!" He met Cherubimon at the middle and began to fire missiles at the Celestial madly, seemingly without purpose, but I knew that he had a strategy in mind. Koji wouldn't go in without some hint of logic guiding his every step. The unprepared cockiness was in Takuya's department.

I turned to EmperorGreymon and stated warily, "Now's probably a good time for that idea, Takuya!"

The air about him revealed to me that under that armor, he was grinning rather smugly at me. "Don't worry, Mirai. I've got it. And you're gonna help me." He lifted his large sword above his head and with distinct skill and control, began to spin it around his head. It was rotating so fast I couldn't see anything but a circular blur. His bright eyes met mine and in a single instant, I knew what he was planning. "Your turn, Miri! Go for it!"

Sheaving my sword, I returned his grin. "Right! I gotchya, Taky!" I held my hands out to my sides and felt the energy gathering at my fingertips. Something within my mind clicked, and I knew that it was ready. "Manifold Cataclysm!" I smacked my palms together and the two orbs melded into swirling energy. I pointed my fingers and my gaze not at Cherubimon or any impending danger, but rather EmperorGreymon's sword, providing it with more power.

As I kept up my attack, my gaze trailed over to MagnaGarurumon's form fighting with Cherubimon. His firing never ceased, but his opponent was cackling, even as he was being backed up against a rock. Still the barrage continued, but the rock ended up being destroyed and with it, the Warrior of Light's upper hand.

"Mirai, I need more power!"

EmperorGreymon's voice pulled me back into my task. I felt drained for keeping up the attack to power up his sword, but I knew I had to give him more. My fingers trembled and fatigue was trying to get me into a chokehold. I fought against it, gathering the strength contained in every ounce of my being. "If you want it, you got it, buddy!" I called to him, holding my tongue from crying out simultaneously, and pushed the energy through my fingertips. _My friends believe in me. With them, I can surpass any limitations._

"Almost ready! Just keep it up!" The confidence in his voice drew me to look at him, then up to his sword. Rather than the blur that it once was, it was concealed by a blazing light that created a disc of pure power. "Just a little more…" The sword crackled and hummed with intensity. "Okay!" I cut off my attack and he positioned his sword before him. It took mere fractions of a second for it to change into a weapon engulfed in light. "Dragonfire Crossbow!"

The boom of the beam that was thrust from his sword was deafening and the energy released was blinding. It was a cylinder of yellow-tinted light, and the violet and electric blue energy from my attack twisted around it like vines. The small distance that I was from it made me feel the sheer dint radiating from it and the heat seeped through my armor.

It was a direct hit to Cherubimon. Flames consumed his form, and he let out an ear-splitting yowl like a bear caught in a trap. An explosion consumed him entirely and trapped him within a glowing sphere of energy. Static flared randomly from the inside the tomb of which seemed to have no means of escape.

"Holy crap…" I muttered at the utter destruction before us, trying to gather up some more strength. "I hope we got 'im." But the feeling coursing within me told me not to expect such an easy victory, and I believed it over my own words.

But that all-too familiar chortle was quick to prove me wrong. In the flames of the explosion, I caught sight of his eyes—those piercing yellow slits—and just below them, a smile gleam nefariously, droll yet vehemently both at the same time to create a wry grin holding no nuance to any other countenance I'd ever witnessed. "Valiant effort. An impressive strategy…" he growled, holding no emotion that reinforced his words, "But did I mention that I am virtually _invincible_?!" He thrust out his arms and the blaze that consumed him ripped apart like a cocoon exploding, revealing that from his waist down, there was quite literally nothing left of him.

EmperorGreymon's eyes flashed. "Well, _somebody's_ gonna need surgery."

As I chuckled at the rather untimely remark, MagnaGarurumon didn't seem to notice the Warrior of Flame had even spoken. His attention was where it _should've_ been—rather than where mine was, which was on Takuya and his repartee—and his voice rendered with complete vexation. "That's impossible!"

Cherubimon seemed much more than pleased that such an exclamation of that manner had arisen. Another reason for him to gloat of his strength, of his advantage over us. "Not when you possess as much Data as I do…" And as if this was a cue, the hanging edges of his torso seemed to begin to bubble and from it, his body began to reconstruct itself, no scars or marks of what we had done remaining on him. In mere moments, he looked as though the battle hadn't even begun. "I must thank you pathetic children. That was _quite_ refreshing."

I did a half-step backwards before I realized my body had moved. "Damn, that's really not fair," I muttered, narrowing my eyes at this newest development and hearing my comrades say something about the recent regeneration but not absorbing the words. My attention was too far gone to pull out any meaning with what could've possibly been said; my mind was reeling from the world around me. _He's using that Data he collected like it's some sort of tool. The Data of all of the places we'd traveled, the Digimon who we befriended that fell by his hand, all of those innocent creatures that did nothing against him_—

I stopped mid-thought to try to contain my rage that I could already feel pooling. _No, I can't lose it now. I can't let my anger control me._ That feeling as I fought against myself put me up against the wall, struggling just to remain above the surface of my anger and barely staying afloat. Just by being near this evil Digimon, I realized, was messing with me. My fingers pushed through my hair and pressed to my skull, muttering inscrutable sounds to try to keep the demon from burrowing farther into my head. _Just go away…_

"This is the power you could've possessed, Mirai, had you listened to me when I offered you a position under me."

My face snapped upward, my fingers pulling away from my scalp and my arms dropping back down to my sides. My gaze trained hard to him, memories flashing back to me in distorted blurs with voices and words that couldn't possibly match with them. It was as though my Memory Aura was teasing me—playing with my mind so that I could only grow more and more vexed with what I was seeing and hearing. But one voice spoke louder than all the others, words and a tone that I couldn't help but recognize, "_I'll be waiting for you…_"

The experience I had Cherubimon within Sakkakumon—within my own mind—was what arose over all else. How he had threatened to have the Spirit of Space's Data returned to him one way or another, how I vowed I'd never join forces with him—it all just rang in a mangled chorus. A part of me wondered what he had thought after all of that had ensued, after I had regained my consciousness that first time. I myself couldn't recall what had ensued those moments I had pulled out from my mind before leaving Sakkakumon, what had been spoken between Takuya and I, and so the possibilities of what Cherubimon could've been plotting was even more than what could've went on between me and the Warrior of Flame. Was he frustrated with my resistance? Did it amuse him? Had he anticipated every move I made since that very moment?

I merely glared up at him with a tightened gaze. "I don't care about power!" I yelled back, pulling the words up out of my throat where they had been jammed. "If power was what I wanted, I wouldn't be standing before you with a sword at my side!" I paused in attempt to regain control of my aggravation, looking at the two Warriors to my left and right. Just the sight of them made me ease, and I outstretched my arms, one toward each of them. "Friendship is more important to me than anything you could offer me! My friends are what are the most important to me—they're the ones I want!"

That smirk that contorted on the fiend's face tried to pull me from my little pedestal of pride from the words that had just escaped my mouth. "Then you shall die together with them!" A flash scintillated from his forehead and purple rays of light stretched out in every direction. He let out a roar and his body began to grow in size.

"He's _huge_!" MagnaGarurumon exclaimed, his mouth agape slightly. "And he looks mad…!"

The quickness to respond I suddenly possessed surprised me, and that instantly earned me a couple looks for changing the mood of this whole situation, although humor really wasn't my intention. "Yeah, that's what Taky looks like when Shinya takes the last cookie!"

Though Cherubimon wasn't very amused by my statement, if he had even heard me to begin with (he was no more amused than the two guys on either side of me were). Instead, he proceeded to taunt us and try to make us falter using intimidation, his words and tone acidic. "Tell me, young _Legendary Warriors_…" He titled his head slightly aside, ogling at us with something other than a look of prognostication. "Are you afraid now?"

"No way!" EmperorGreymon adjusted his sword in his grasp, wind-milling it about at his side, and it began to glow. "I don't care _how_ big you are!"

MagnaGarurumon and I glanced at each other nonchalantly, planning nothing, but still our responses came out simultaneously, "Not a chance in hell."

This seemed like a reply that the anti-Celestial was anticipating, as it seemed to delight him to no end that we were openly defying him. "That will soon change. You'd better brace yourself, foolish children; for your pride is raining down upon you!" Again his forehead glow purple, I noticed, but this time Data burst from it in long streams and flew up into the dark, sinister clouds above. With a flash like a star it disappeared, and Cherubimon began to laugh as large boulders began to hurtle down from the sky.

He waved his arms about madly, spitting out to us, "Be on your guard, little Warriors!" He curled his fingers, controlling the motion of his arms and making them move about in a circular pattern. "I'm about to rock your world!" _Okay, was that _supposed _to sound dirty?_

Before I could figure out the answer to that question, I found rocks being hurled our way and withdrew my sword. They were coming from every direction and my eyes couldn't move fast enough to spot where the closest one was located. With my Spirit's strength, I bounded from boulder to boulder, leaping off as another collided with it, narrowly avoiding being caught in between them. As I came mere inches from being clipped by an incoming rock, I realized with all of them being flung at us, we weren't going to be able to get close that easily.

From the very corner of my gaze, I spotted MagnaGarurumon swooping in with his guns and freeing up EmperorGreymon from being caught, but that single moment of my deterred attention nearly awarded me with something I probably could've avoided if I hadn't been distracted. A boulder came in hard from just over my shoulder, connecting with my entire left side of my torso, and sent me reeling, a yell following my every move. Pain circulated about me, palpitating like a second heartbeat. When I'd collected my bearings upon a stagnant rock, I disdainfully looked back over that same shoulder to see the armor once perfectly-crafted to protect the area of my scapula bent about in a way that made it hardly like what it once ways. It wasn't pierced, so I took that as a plus, since at least then I didn't have a chance of hurting myself more by getting cut on sharp edges of metal.

I had to take a moment as a breather, a moment that I probably should've been doing something more rational, but any strength I could gather was needed, I decided. I pivoted my head upwards and caught sight of the other two Warriors, so leapt upwards to join them. I gave them a nod of recognition, of which they returned, and we prepared ourselves for whatever was going to come at us next.

"Perhaps you will enjoy this next development far more than the last," Cherubimon sneered, his forehead glowing, and as if we hadn't seen enough of it when we first came to the Digital World, the lavender castle decided to come down and greet us.

As its shadow shrouded us, the pointed towers aimed towards us, I cussed at its horrid timing and held out my arms. "Fortified Continuum!" A force field surrounding us, I pinched my eyes shut and prayed I could hold it up with that much weight bearing down upon it. The instant that the castle impacted with my force field, I dropped down onto my knees from the sudden weakness that overcame me, locking my jaw to keep from letting a sound escape from my lips. _I can't let anything happen to them. I can't…_

I was pretty sure Takuya and Koji were saying something to me, but before I could comprehend their words, I instead caught ear of that all-too familiar cackle. "Oh, so you're still fighting the inevitable? Worry not. This will end all the pain your putting yourself through before you can even blink." He paused and the sound of something I couldn't determine filled the gap the lack of his voice created. "Thousand Spears!" Only a second passed between the sound of the spears slicing through the air and feeling their force against the force field.

My fingers trembled uncontrollably and the weight that was thrust on my arms was threatening to fell them. The Thousand Spears attack had destroyed the castle and send debris falling down upon us, along with those crimson spears trying to penetrate through to us. "Can't surrender…" I whispered, trying to keep my arms in position and my mind focused. I could feel the sweat seeping down my face, the salt burning my eyes.

As soon as they touched my arms, my eyes shot open and I looked about. Towering above me on my right was MagnaGarurumon and my left was EmperorGreymon, both holding up each of my arms. I blinked and suddenly I thought I saw the flash of each of them—the true humans under their Unified Spirit forms—smiling at me, Takuya smug and Koji just plain sweet, but in the action of another blink of my eyes, they were gone. Yet I knew their faces and their gestures were enough.

"Ah, you're relying on your last foolish attempts to save you." Cherubimon rose up higher in this air, raising up his arms to the heavens. "And such a folly can only get you damnation. One more attack shall be your end. Terminal Judgment!" He summoned violet lightning to strike down all around him, one coming right down and shattering my force field like glass right on its impact, showering us with shards of shimmering energy. But that was all right; Fortified Continuum had served its purpose.

I rose up to my feet just as the Warrior of Flame looked past all the bolts of lightning straight at Cherubimon. "Hey! We're not done yet! We're here to prove that it was destiny that _we_ were given the Spirits of the Twelve Legendary Warriors!"

The Warrior of Light was standing beside him, his eyes ignited with sheer intensity. His voice was passionate as it rang through the air, "That's right! _You're_ the one that's fighting the inevitable!"

Drawing my sword, I felt far more than empowered and continued their words where they had left off, "So let us set you straight! We're not gonna let you hurt anyone anymore—far too many have suffered because of you! Time to meet your fate!"

Through the lightning, we shot towards this once-Celestial with a firm resolve, one mission in mind—the mission that we'd possessed the entire time we'd been in this world. We entered the fray, there was a flash, and then all turned white.

* * *

Until my eyes opened, I hadn't known that they were closed. Peering down at myself, I realized I was back into my human form, but something was seemingly off when I looked at my hands. No cuts or scars from my countless battles. _That's strange…_

But I didn't know strange until I saw how empty the world around me was. It was all white, blank like a sheet of paper, aside from a single mirror before me. It was a long, full-body mirror just a little taller than I was and just a little wider. I approached it and examined my face; there, too, were none of the blemishes that were absent from my hands. And even more strange, my hair was brown—the brown it was naturally, how it hadn't been for a long time. A part of me scrutinized the mirror and it was drawn to the glass; I knew there had to be something more to it than just reflecting my appearance, and I wasn't sure what drew me to do it, but I touched my fingers to it, the surface rippling like water, and I went inside.

"Surprise!"

It was as though the mirror was a door. A door that, I realized in a moment, led to my house as if it was the front door. And I instantly found myself standing there far more than vexed, looking at the dining room table and all of its occupants. It was my family—my parents and Yukio—along with Koji. _This is far too weird_, I mentally noted as I physically voiced, my tone completely consumed with my absolute confusion, "W-what is this?"

My mom smiled at me as she walked over to me, trying to tell me something with her eyes that opposed her real words, "I know you said that you didn't want a party, but everyone needs some sort of celebration on their birthday." She placed her hand on my shoulder and led me over to the table.

I refused to sit; I couldn't when I was this trapped in my thoughts. _My birthday? But it's still summer…_ That triggered my eyes to drop down at my attire, and I automatically noticed I was dressed in a violet-hued sweater and jeans. _How did all of this time pass? How is it already December? Did that much time really pass when we were in the Digital World?_ I instantly pulled my gaze over to Koji and questioned, "Koji, does this mean we beat Cherubimon?"

His face contorted, the blue eyes that reflected my face morphing to display slight vexation. "Cherubimon?" The name sounded off on his tongue, different than it had all the other times he'd said that name. "Who's Cherubimon?"

My heart lurched within my chest uncontrollably. _Is this his idea of a joke?_ "Cherubimon. You know. That Digimon we'd been sent to beat that had oppressed the Digital World."

"Digital World?" His gaze tightened as he scrutinized me for my words; I instantly hit panic. This was _not_ normal. "Are you feeling all right, Mirai?"

I reached for the back of the chair that had been designated as mine and grasped my fingers on its back. My face moved close to his to scan his mien; I was beginning to get shoved off the edge of my coolness, evident with my frantic tone, "Koji. The Digital World! That alternate world that called for you and me and the other DigiDestined to free it from evil! Where you met your twin brother who'd been consumed by Darkness and freed him!" The look he gave me killed me inside when I'd hit those words regarding Koichi, but I couldn't stop. "Where we defeated the five evil Warriors that served under Cherubimon! Where we all became friends! The Digital World, Koji! Don't you remember?!" A part of me snapped and I became instantly hysteric. "Please tell me you remember! Please, Koji, you remember, right?!"

The thudding of my heart and the hitching of my breath were the only things to fill the silence between when I'd stopped and when Koji was starting to speak, his eyes wide, annunciating every syllable cautiously as if speaking too quickly would set me off again, "I'm sorry, Mirai. I don't know what you're talking about."

As the words set in, an emptiness filled me. _What…what is going on?_ I felt my lip tremble when my fingers tightened on the back of the chair. "K-Koji… Y-you have to remember…" I felt like crying; breaking down and crying. Here was my family, sitting around and staring at me like I belonged in an insane asylum, and Koji not remembering the very thing that brought us together… _Wait._ "Koji, how did we meet?!" I inquired with automatic energy. "You have to tell me!"

His facial expression morphed slightly, still holding that confusion, but more level than moments before. His tone revealed concern for me and my erratic behavior, "We met on a train back in summer—the Shibuya-bound train I think. You were in a hurry, so you ran into me while getting on. You apologized and we started talking…" His crystalline orbs turned lightly suspicious for my question. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

My mouth fell slightly agape at his explanation, realizing what his words were implying. _The basic idea is the same, but there are discrepancies with the details so that the Digital World isn't involved. But why is this happening?_ I responded when I'd realized he had asked me a question, "I'm not sick, Koji." _Just horribly confused. What the hell is going on here?_

"Happy birthday, Mirai."

My entire body froze. That voice. I knew that voice. My heart in my mouth, it felt as though I was turning around in slow motion. But when I saw him, I merely stared, stunned with disbelief. That sandy brown hair, those glowing, golden eyes, that ever-so sweet smile. He held a present in his hands, neatly-wrapped, and he looked older than my memories recalled him, but he was still who I knew oh-so well. "_Nii-san_…?"

His lips made an o-shape. "_Nii-san_? You haven't called me that in years." He stopped abruptly, studying me for a second. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

I didn't realize I had started crying, but I didn't give it a second thought. I cried out and ran to him, burying my face in his shirt, sobbing and sputtering out, "_Nii-san_…_Nii-san…_ You don't know how much I've missed you…"

His voice mirrored the notes of confusion that Koji had possessed. "What? You saw me this morning." He put one hand on my head. "You shouldn't be crying. This is your day. Let's see a smile."

Peering up at him, my breath continued to hitch and tears still flowed from the corner of my eyes. I tried to smile, smile for that brother that I hadn't seen for longer than I wanted to remember. I recognized his scent and the light way he spoke, and suddenly, I felt like I was home. But that didn't interrupt that nagging feeling that something was still terribly wrong. As much as I loved being here—being here with everyone I loved—this didn't feel like the place that I should've been at.

He interlaced his fingers with mine, and I received that smile that could fill my whole world with light. "C'mon, let's eat." He pulled me like a lost, little puppy over to the table, and when he had sat down, I felt little option than to do the same. With him and Koji on either side of me, I couldn't possibly think of a better reality.

At first, I had trouble eating what was put before me and found myself picking at it. Confusion was gnawing at me, especially as I looked about at all those around me. The average dinner table sort of conversation floated about, all cheerful and without any mention of the negatives as if they didn't exist, and eventually the positive aura about the table led me to begin eating. _No matter how nice this is, it doesn't excuse the fact that this isn't right…_ My eyes drifted over to Koji, who looked no less than jocund as he partook of the conversation in between bites of his meal. _Maybe Cherubimon's attack did something; it could've created a warp or something that took me to a different reality._ I turned back down to my plate and stuck another hunk of food in my mouth. _But…I honestly don't mind this reality…_If_ it's reality…_

When we had finished the meal the next thing mentioned was the cake. I watched _Nii-san_ as he scooted his chair back and went to the kitchen to retrieve it. He was as kind-hearted as all of my memories told me, a sort of kind-heartedness that the other Warriors never hesitated to show me. _The others…_ My mind's eye flashed on each of their faces, of all the kindness they showed me, of how many smiles we shared and all of that laughter. My mind came to Takuya. _We're not friends in this reality, then. We had made our amends in the Digital World. If we were still friends, he'd be here right now… _My heart sank with a sense of homesickness.

The sound of my oldest brother's footsteps jolted me from my thoughts. He was humming an upbeat little tune I noticed as he grew near. When he set the cake before me, the flames of the little candles dancing, my eyes widened. I wondered if my mind was playing tricks on me, so I blinked a few times to see if what I was seeing was truly there. The candles, all those colorful, little torches, were arranged perfectly into the symbol for Time.

It couldn't have been coincidence; I knew that much for certain. For the symbol of my Element to appear here outside of the Digital World seemed like a near-impossible happening—and for it to appear before me, the Warrior of Time, couldn't have been any less than Fate.

I suddenly felt Koji's breath warm in my ear, whispering with the delicateness of an angel, "Happy birthday, Mirai." He lightly kissed my cheek, enough to dust my cheeks with a distinct rosiness. "Make a wish."

No matter how off-guard I was caught, I knew for certain that it wasn't like Koji to assert himself so openly as to kiss me with others present—not _my_ Koji. I peered at him in the corner of my eye, vexed, but still I thought about his words. _Make a wish_, rang back at me with echoing repetition as I glanced back down at my birthday cake and the symbol formed with the candles. It seemed as though the flames were flickering in all perfect synchrony, dancing as the countenances of my friends appeared in six of them. They were laughing, and every note reverberated in my eardrums. Their laughter was the music the flames danced to, their voices so close it felt as though I could reach out and grasp the sound.

_I wish…_ My mind rotated on one thought and one thought alone. It was what I wanted, what I needed. I closed my eyes, inhaling, and blew as the thought formed itself, _…for the Digital world._

When I opened my eyes, the whole setting around me had changed. No longer was I in my house, but rather in that blank, white place I had first been. The mirror I had walked through was nowhere in sight and all was present was the emptiness around me. It was an emotionless white, not like the inviting gentleness of the first snowfall of winter or the taunting of the tempest of a blizzard. It was neither warm nor cold, neither spacious nor claustrophobic.

"Mirai."

I turned, and standing a few yards from me, was my _Nii-san_. His face was solemn as he watched me, his eyes solid with that happy spark long gone. Without that honey-sweet smile, he hardly appeared as the Koichi I knew oh-so well. _Why is he giving me that look?_

My eyes focused on every movement of his lips, every shape as it contorted with each syllable, "I have to go, Mirai. It's clear you love _them_ more than me."

"W-what?" I took an involuntary half-step back, not completely comprehending what he meant. _Love who? I don't…understand… _"_Nii-san_, what are you saying? I…I—" Shaking away the fear in my head, I sputtered out, "I love you more than anyo—" My voice knotted up in my throat, keeping me from continuing; that little girl that was trying to say those simple words to her big brother, her favorite person in the whole wide world, just didn't seem to exist anymore. I'd rather he knew the truth than lie full-faced to him.

His bangs slid into his eyes when he turned his head aside the slightest amount. "I know who you are now. That person doesn't have room in her heart for me anymore."

When I tried to run to him, a hand grasped my arm and kept me stagnant. My gaze turned back and met Koji's, whose face was blank and emotionless. My expression contorted in realization and with my heart beginning to palpitate madly, I tried to pull from his hold. I turned back to my brother, struggling to get free. "_Nii-san_!" I became hasty and frenetic when he turned around and began to walk away, thrashing about in my desperation to get to Koichi. "_Nii-san_!" As his form disappeared, tears were razors down my cheeks. "_NII-SAN!_"

* * *

An explosion snapped me into awareness, disoriented yet on the very edge of my emotions. My eyes scanned the area around me, realizing I was back at the Continent of Darkness, where we had done battle with Cherubimon. My body ached—the body of my Polymerization Spirit, I quickly realized—and moreover, I possessed distinct confusion. _Why did I have a dream like that? That is, if it even was a dream to begin with… It's like that story where that boy woke up and his entire reality had changed from his weird, hectic life to the normal life he'd wished for. But then, as it turned out, he hated his new reality and fought to get the old one back. Now what was the name of it again?_

"Hey, you all right?"

I sat up and looked towards the direction of the voice, to EmperorGreymon, as he put a good amount of his weight on his sword to help him rise to his feet. I internally smiled. No matter if that weird thing was a dream, I still was glad to have that Warrior of Flame back. "Well…" I did a quick check over my current condition. "Considering that I'm not in total pain and all my limbs are in check, I'd say I'm as close to all right as I'll ever be."

"Good to hear," MagnaGarurumon piped up, getting up with a substantial amount of difficulty. "'Cause we still have Cherubimon to beat and a Digital World to save."

The physical smile was almost impossible to keep back at his words. I had _my_ Koji back. But I still had to wonder what all of that was, why things were so different yet so appealing. _Was it my mind's idea of "a perfect world"?_

Cherubimon's voice ripped me from my musings, yet another sign of my reality. "It amazes that you're all still alive after an attack of that degree. No matter, I still have plenty of strength to use on you." He laughed, his yellow eyes disappearing momentarily. "After all, you are all some of the most willing playmates I've ever been given. I will enjoy playing with you up until the last one breathes his last." A wry smile was implanted on his face. "Now, why don't we begin? I'd be doing you a favor by ending things quickly."

"Ha, that's a laugh and a half!" MagnaGarurumon snorted. He had a significant amount of certainty in his voice. "If you actually had the ability to destroy us, you could've easily when we were unconscious. Waiting till we woke up and are able to fight back is a pretty dumb plan."

_It's because he wants us to feel it…_I drew my sword, the blade reflecting my battered face with upmost clarity. _But we came too far to go down now. _

We went in straight forward, full force. It became quickly apparent that we hadn't still collected ourselves from the past barrages, as all it took was the single swinging of his arm to batter every one of us and send us into a cliff side. Cherubimon heartily cackled at us, taking pleasure out of seeing us get embedded into the wall and fall onto a shelf below. "Now who are the dumb ones? You should always watch yourself before making any hypocritical accusations."

"Yeah, you heard him, Koji," EmperorGreymon grunted, trying to get a hold of his sword that had fallen just out of his reach.

My head spun, making it hard for me to focus, and I had so much pain filling me that it was numbing. My heartbeat shook my entire body with every beat. "C'mon guys, we just need some sort of plan. Don't know what it'd be, but I'm gonna hope one of you still has a brain that doesn't hurt right now." As if my words were a trigger, I then lifted my hand up to my head to stabilize the world that was rotating far too quickly for my liking.

"No strategy will save you," Cherubimon interjected, looking down at us like we were insects to be stepped on. "It won't change what is destined to happen. So now give me your Spirits or have them taken from you as your throats are slit!"

I looked over to the Warrior of Flame, knowing that he heard the fiend's death threat. _This is the reality that I chose?_ "Taky, what do you suggest?"

The look in my comrade's eyes was disheartening. "He's…too strong." His voice sounded so different, so lost of that spark that it once held onto so tightly like a child's security blanket. I almost thought that I still hadn't risen from my dream, that this was the Takuya of that world.

"What?!" I objected quickly, coming up to my feet and loomed over my friend in midst of my nebulous questioning. I knew exactly what he had said, but I refused to believe that he was actually serious. "You can't be gi—"

MagnaGarurumon cut me off, his voice quiet. "His forehead."

This caught the attention of both me and EmperorGreymon, causing us to turn our eyes over to him and voice our confusion. His tone was just as quiet as he responded with his explanation, "His forehead is his weakness. Beams of light shoot out of it whenever he's about to initiate an attack. It's where he inserted all of that Data—it must be his weak point." _I see. He doesn't want Cherubimon to know that he found out his secret. _"If we attack him close-range, it'll release all of that compressed Data. That sudden decrease of energy will let us take 'im out."

"But how do you suppose we get that close to release the Data?" EmperorGreymon inquired, causing me to nod in agreement of his question. So far in all of our attempts, we hadn't received a single opportunity to get that close for an assault.

The Warrior of Light locked eyes with his Flame-aligned friend and his voice came out crisp and serious. "I'll fly in first and distract him. You come in behind me and go straight for the forehead. Don't worry about me; you just have to get in there and do whatchya gotta do."

EmperorGreymon practically read my mind with his next question. "But why should _you_ go first? My armor is far stronger than yours. It's just smart that I cover _you_."

Despite the fact I was pretty much being ignored, I didn't want to ruin the intensity that flowed between the two Warriors beside me. When they were like this, I knew it was best to hold tight and wait for what they wanted to say to be said, so I let MagnaGarurumon continue, "And what am I supposed to do once I get up there?" He made a skeptical face. "In case you didn't notice, my attacks were completely _useless_. The only way to get him is with your sword." He turned to glance back at Cherubimon, who seemed to be preparing himself; his forehead emitted a slight lavender light. "Once we're up there, it's all gonna be on _you_. So what do you say? Think you can handle it?"

Confidence restored, EmperorGreymon got up to his feet and wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his sword. "Of course. I've got this down. No problem!"

"Atta boy!"

I took a moment to lock gazes with each of them, one by one. My eyes stopped at the Warrior of Flame, designating my words to him, "I'll cover you. I'll buffer the attacks with my force field; that way, you'll be at full strength when you get up there. You're gonna need all the fight in you that you can muster." I offered up a grin to him. "It's all you, bro."

He was about to respond when Cherubimon let out a roar and thrust his arms outward. "I'm tired of waiting! Come seal your Fate and meet your death!" Thrusting back his head, a vibrant light emitting from brow, he called forth a countless number of lightning bolts in our direction. In his hand he formed a large sphere of purple energy and threw it at us. He was giving us all of hell to deal with.

We anticipated such an attempt and burst through the orb of energy, releasing a yell of battle. MagnaGarurumon took the lead, charging forward as I used Fortified Continuum to escort EmperorGreymon just at my heels. I could feel the force of the blows on the surface of the force field, but I held firm, watching the Warrior of Light's agile movements before me as he shot straight for the anti-Celestial and pieces of his armor began to fly off upon contact with the bolts of lightning. _If he's not going to give up, I'm not either. It's our job to get Taky up there._

"Bring it on, Cherubimon!" he shouted, his ambition strong in his tone. "I can take anything you've got!" He was struck by an attack and cried out, causing me human form under my Spirit form to tremble at the sound. But even as our enemy used Thousand Spears, he continued through, despite how his cries made my heart shatter, and shielded us with all the strength he possessed. Although my force field didn't take the sting off of all the attacks that struck us, I knew the pain I felt was nothing compared to his.

EmperorGreymon's voice rang from behind me, obviously holding the same thoughts as I. "Hang in there, Koji!" _Yeah, we're both here for you, Koji. You're strong enough to take this. You're one of the strongest people I know._

Cherubimon swung backwards, his arms out at his sides. "Lightning Blast!" A thick beam of shimmering, crimson light shot out from before him, MagnaGarurumon taking the full force of the attack head-on, and my force field shattering at mere contact, allowing the rest of the attack to break through. I heard the Light-aligned Warrior's yell, calling out for Takuya to "go get 'im, buddy" as he dropped to the ground below.

The force of the attack ripped through my armor, shattering the shield that hid my eyes and inducing a scream that ripped up my windpipe. It felt as though my skin was burning in the inferno of hell, and my body was rendered completely immobile. I knew the feeling of the cold air passing around me as I plummeted, and all I could do was shout back up to my friend heading in to finish it, "It's your fight now, Taky! Kick Barney's ass!"

Pain was too far gone to feel now. As I hit the ground, all I could do was watch in blurry-eyed revelation as my closest friend charged forward at Cherubimon, his sword drawn. A part of me could imagine his words, and I knew not why such dubbing had come to me, but I could hear his voice like crystal. "I'm not alone—I've never been alone! I can feel them! The spirits of every one of my friends are with me. That is the source of _my_ power. As long as they believe, _nothing_ can stop me!" I saw him hold up his sword, his positioning above Cherubimon perfect and his body enflamed like a star in the night's dark. "You're done, Cherubimon! It's time to restore—"

My mind finished his words, and a sense told me that everyone else was finishing them as well.

"_The peace of the Digital World!_"

He drove his blade down; I could hear the beast Digimon's shrieks as streams of Data poured from the wound. I knew he had pulled out his D-Tector and all of the Data began to flow inside, purifying the creature that needed it more than any other. But before his DigiEgg appeared, his pure, original form appeared with light surrounding his figure. I could distinctly see his smile—a smile full of gratitude and joy—and tears fall from his eyes as he disappeared, his egg forming and floating up into the night.

I sighed and De-Spirit Evolved, wanting to cry. Despite how much pain I was in, an infinite happiness filled me. It was finally over; Cherubimon had been purified and the Digital World saved. We could finally return home after all this time. _Home…_ The thought made me beam as I rested my head back so I could look up at the clouded sky above, bringing into my lungs a big breath of air. _It'll be weird to be back home after all this time and all we've been through. I wonder how my family is…_

My fingers went through my bangs as they fell down into my eyes. It was impossible to determine how long we were here. Many months, I knew, but just how many I couldn't even begin to estimate. But we had finished our job; the war was won. That brought me the largest amount of satisfaction and pride. We really were the children that Ophanimon called in hope that her world could be freed from Cherubimon's oppression; Fate hadn't gotten it wrong.

When I sat up, my attention was instantly averted to a small spark of light in the distance. I squinted at it, trying to figure out just what it was, but before I could determine the identity of it, it had disappeared down into a crevice. My head turning aside and my curiosity piqued, I decided to dismiss it. _Must be some debris from Takuya's attack. You never know what that boy can do until he does it…or at least until you see the consequences._

"Hey, Miri, we won!" Speaking of the devil, he had approached me, Koji unconscious on his back. A scrape on his cheek disregarded, he was grinning that goggle-headed smirk that he was just so good at. "Cherubimon didn't stand a chance!"

I laughed lightly at his antics, pressing my finger to my cheek as I inquired, "Hey, Hero-boy, is there any chance you can carry me too?"

He joined me in my laughter momentarily, in the midst sneaking in a "not a chance", but still offered his hand and helped me up to my feet. His russet eyes were glowing with the excitement of our most recent and important victory as we began our trek back to the rest of the Warriors. He chattered to me in a lively manner, seemingly more alive than even before we had set off into battle. _This boy never seems to cease to surprise me with his optimism._

While I listened to him go on and on, my eyes rested on Koji. While his face was battered and his clothes were disheveled, his expression in the midst of his resting state was content. I reached over and wiped some dirt off his face, letting a smile show on my face as his bangs slid over my fingertips. No matter how much pain I was feeling, just seeing him all right was enough to make it all seem unimportant.

I hadn't realized Takuya paused until the only noise that was between us was the sound of our shoes grinding against the dirt under them. I glanced over to him and realized that he wasn't even looking in my direction. His lips moved slowly as he started speaking, his eyes suddenly shooting over to mine, "You know, I never thanked you for what you did earlier." I must've given him a confused his expression, since he was quick to explain himself. "I mean, when you went to save Zoe…and stuff."

Crossing my arms over my chest, I suddenly realized what he meant and gave him a scrutinizing expression. "C'mon, Taky. She's my friend, too. I couldn't have _not_ gone after her." _She's another one of those people that have done so much for me…_ I added mentally, kicking a rock with the toe of my shoe and watching it shoot off somewhere.

"I know, but if something happened to her…" When he trailed off, my face shot back over to him to analyze the expression he was wearing. It was solemn and his eyes were solid with seriousness; his mouth was a flat line in between the breaks of his words. "…I don't think I could ever forgive myself."

Waiting a moment to ponder his words and their distinct meaning, I remained completely silent with pursed lips. But a thought coming to my mind based on a reoccurring theory that I had quite frequently beforehand, I uncontrollably broke out into a smile. "'Cause she's a friend and a teammate, right?" I paused to await his response, whatever it could possibly be, but didn't receive it. I knew exactly what was going on now, evident by my smug tone. "…_riiiight_?"

"What?" At the sound of my tone change, he suddenly snapped back into attention, albeit confused to a distinct degree. It took a second for him to realize what I had said and take into consideration its meaning. "…Oh. Yeah."

With his discombobulated words as my evidence, I let out a chortle at my confirmed hypothesis and poked at his cheek. "Ha ha, you're cute."

My words made his face grow red, increasing the reason my humor. He created a little pout with the curvature of his mouth, giving the slight appearance as someone younger than he really was. But before he could make a response of any sort, we both caught ear and turned at the sound of our friends shouting to us. The sight of them atop the cliff where we had departed for battle, waving their arms and cheering made us both break out into distinct smiles and look at each other to share them.

We shouted back to them, laughing. It was a sign that this was really over, that we all had persevered together. Takuya adjusted Koji on his back, and giving me a half-assed look of 'oh God, your boyfriend's getting too heavy' that made me wanna smack him upside the head, we picked up speed towards the rest of our friends. As we went, thoughts of that dream I had entered my mind—that vision of that alternate world, my mind's "perfect world"—and I shook my head. No matter how perfect any other reality may have seemed…

This is how I wanted it.


	40. Chapter 38

**.A/N. *GASP!* A bi-WEEKLY update?! Yes, kiddies, this is no joke. I managed to pull together and write up an entire chapter in two days (granted, I stayed home sick the past two days, giving me a crapload of time in front of my laptop). Sure, it's about eight pages shorter than my previous chapters have been, but it was episode 38 I was dealing with, which is pretty much the most boring episode out of the entire season. There comes a point in time where you just look at what you've written and decide, "Screw this, I'm posting it because I really don't have anything more planned."  
**

**Anyway, sorry if this chapter is totally boring. It bored me a bit just to write it. Synopsis of the chapter: Baromon walks in and says "Hey how you doing, I'm gonna attack you for trying to get past this wall even though there's virtually nothing behind it! Wait a sec, YOU'RE the Legendary Warriors?! My bad. Here, to make it up to you, I'm gonna spend ten minutes of screentime telling you things that you already know! What's that? Come again? The _Royal Knights_?! Damn them, you must attempt to fight them and suffer a humiliating yet highly-predictable defeat!"  
**

**Takuya: *whispering to the rest of the Frontier gang* Did she just ruin the entire chapter?  
**

**Mirai: Yup, haven't you noticed it's what she's been doing for the past thirty-eight chapters.  
**

**Me: Ouch, that's harsh. I thought I was just rewriting the series in my own, eloquent yet extremely-violent manner...?  
**

**...Uh well, sorry about that. But hey, consolation! The MOON episode is next! It is by far one of the best episodes in Frontier, up there with the burger and beach episodes. But don't expect an update _quite_ as fast as this one... oi, my brain is fried...  
**

**So with that said, I have eleven chapters left and one epilogue! Comin' to the home stretch, my kiddies! Maybe, just maybe, I'll have this fanfic finished before the year is out! (I say this because it's January and so I have enough time to make that farfetched assumption)  
**

**And now I shall be off to finish all the homework I gathered up during my time writing this chapter, and stop neglecting all of my other fanfics *coughTamerscough*  
**

**Enjoy chapter 38! R&R please, my loves~!  
**

* * *

Chapter 38

After reuniting with our friends at the top of the cliff, Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon began to celebrate our victory. They joined paws and made a circle, spinning about and letting out little cheers. The Warriors about us were all smiles as well, giving us three (yes, three. Koji had decided to wake up at the most inconvenient time when we were climbing up a fairly steep slope to the top where everyone else was, causing Takuya to lose his balance, fall backwards, knock me over, and send all three of us tumbling to a lower shelf all mangled up together like spaghetti. It wasn't very fun.) pats on the back and hugs and all sorts of things that didn't hesitate to make me feel awkward.

But regardless, this was what we were all dreaming of ever since we were told of our mission here—this victory that affected the entire Digital World. It was _worth_ standing awkwardly as someone else decided to squeeze the breath outta me as they celebrated that we were alive and victorious in the form of a great big hug resembling much the manner that one would squeeze the juice from a lemon. Well…maybe it wasn't _quite _worth it.

A good thing to see, however, was that Tommy didn't decide to do what he contributed. Instead of giving that kiss on the cheek he'd promised, he gave Takuya a big smile and said lightly, his eyes shining, "It feels like a dream."

The Warrior of Flame returned the gesture and put his hand on the younger boy's shoulder. He spoke as he turned to face the rest of us, "Well, wake up, buddy, 'cause we did it! Cherubimon is gone, and the Digital World is safe again!" But then his expression changed to something that was heavily marked with confusion as he asked me, "Uh, Mirai? What's going on?" I could tell by his tone that under that confusion were distinct notes of amusement, assisted by the smirk trying to get onto his face.

I must've had a pretty stupid look on my face, as I knew that he wouldn't have questioned if I didn't. In a traumatized voice with twitchy eyes, I responded, "People keep _hugging_ me!"

A bit of laughter ensued from my remark, but as I bobbed my head away to keep the others from seeing how red my face was becoming, I took sight of Koji looking off into the distance, his face filled with none of the light-hearted expressions that the rest of the Warriors possessed. I stopped listening to their mockery to ask him, my look contorting into full-fledged perplexity, "Koji, what's wrong?" _Clearly something's up; he never has that distant look in his eyes for no reason…_

"It's so strange," he began, his firm, hushed voice silencing the others and making the Digimon cease their dancing. He then scowled fiercely, his gaze tightening over the land before him. His sudden change in countenance made his brother's morph as well, I noticed. "The land that was lost should've come back by now; the Digital World's surface still looks damaged. Once Cherubimon was destroyed, its Fractal Code was supposed to return to where it belongs, but..." He trailed off for a reason that we all knew now.

_Is that what—?_ My mind stopped mid-thought, recalling that strange glowing sphere I had seen just after the battle. It had fallen through one of the holes of the earth, and at the time, I had merely dismissed it as debris. _But that means…_ My eyes shot up to look at the land that stretched out before us, a wasteland that was missing so many sections of the ground where the Fractal Code was taken. The terrain was completely bare; there were no remnants of the Rose Morning Star's foundation, nor of any life that had maybe once thrived here. _…that someone else is out there. Someone far more evil than Cherubimon…_

"Hey, you're right. This doesn't make sense," Takuya agreed, walking near the edge and leading the rest of us to follow. His eyes darkened and his expression changed to match the Warrior of Light's. "When the Data was restored, the land should've been restored with it."

Without a warning or given reason, the mountains that lied before us in the distance began to tremble. Dust rose from all around it at its foot, causing all of us to give out some voicing of alarm and all of the Digimon accompanying us to run over to us. The mountains' form became Fractal Code, countless strips of the colorful energy replacing the dirt and rock. It descended down into the ground and disappeared, dust blowing away from the epicenter in large clouds, and with it, a large gust of wind.

The sheer force of the wind was enough to make us brace ourselves and cover our faces. The dirt it carried along with it was like sandpaper, and all I could do was close my eyes and turn my head away as it flew over every inch of my bare skin. I caught ear of my friends' voices calling out to each other, but it was impossible to hear the words that went between them, not with the wind whistling and whipping past us with the force of a typhoon. _I wish I knew exactly what was going on. The mountain's Data was scanned by something, but just what scanned it is the question…_

I felt someone grab my wrist, and one eye opened to see Koji. He mouthed the simple words, 'let's go', and I knew to comply. We began walking, the place we were going I didn't know, but I decided to trust whoever's idea this was. No one here would do anything that would harm the others.

We came to a place where the wind was practically nonexistent, a sort of place that seemed like it once was part of an ancient city. The high walls were etched with pictures that were faded with time, and large openings were carved in for an entrance, no real doors present. A fog was stagnant over the civilization that once was and the air was cold. There was a deep soundlessness here, only the minute sound of our feet pattering and our breaths through our mouths accompanying us as we approached.

Suddenly Takuya, who had been leading us, stopped abruptly. His face turned upward and held a clear sign of wariness under his vexed expression, causing all of us to look up where his eyes were, at a window high up on the wall. JP was the one quickest to question our leader's actions, however, a little bit of skepticism in his tone, but mostly curiosity, "Hey, what's goin' on?"

"Did you see something?" Zoe added, looking to Takuya for an answer. Her green eyes were bright even through the haziness of the fog as she gazed at the Warrior of Flame, appearing as though she'd hang onto every one of his words.

The fog immediately lifted and he dropped his face back down to the land before us. "I'm not sure," he responded after a moment's hesitation. He took turns giving each of us an identical look. "But I think we should keep moving." His eyes crossed back over to that window, his mien cautious to an amount that made me want to know just what was going through his mind. This was one of those few times that he wasn't an open book. "…It just doesn't feel right."

His head snapped up just as a red orb sailed past us, the heat of it intense even from our distance away, and crashed just mere yards from where we were located. We found ourselves blocking our faces from the intense power it exuded when it exploded upon contact of the ground. I wanted to see just what it looked like, but it was far too bright to even glance at. _Was it…an attack? Was it from whatever Takuya had seen? It seemed more like a warning than anything; any Digimon with as much power as its attack shows would've been able to hit us. _

"Who's there?!" Takuya shouted out, his jaws grinding against each other. His brown eyes were trained to the wall, scanning it for any sort of movement. "Show yourself _now_!"

And then we saw him. It was a tall, shaman-like Digimon, bearing a red cape and green attire. A strange headdress-like thing was atop his head, and an equally-unusual pendant was settled on his chest. He stared down at us with a face more beastlike than human, despite his body's structure, and his deep voice echoed in a powerful bass, "I am Baromon!" He outstretched his arms, his fingertips outspread. "I cannot allow you to pass!"

Takuya pulled out his D-Tector, the screen glowing white. "So you're the one that scanned that mountain!" He looked to each of us, his ambition flaring. And with his words, I almost expected him to grin. "C'mon, guys, let's kick some mountain-stealin' ass!"

I groaned at his wording, but nonetheless, the rest of us followed suit. Meanwhile, Baromon pressed two fingers to his forehead and called out, "Great Spirits of the universe, hear me!" He grasped the edge of his cape and tossed it before him, his entire body glowing magenta. "Give me your power!" As if raining from the heavens because of an answered plea, more orbs of crimson fell down in our direction, this time to hit us, and we knew just what to do.

Flicking my wrist, the single stream of Data materialized around my hand. I pressed the side button of my D-Tector and scraped it along the shimmering stream, sparks of countless colors shooting out like a sparkler. "Execute! Spirit Evolution!" Lifting my Digivice, the Data spun about around me, cocooning my figure and beginning the transformation. I knew this feeling. I recognized the touch of my Human Spirit as she overtook my enmity; I could feel the expansiveness of her mind filling me with knowledge, will, and strength. "Gryphanimon!"

With my fellow Warriors beside me—all of whom were in their Human forms as well—we leapt up. It seemed almost far too easy to avoid the attacks that had been cast down at us, and as I passed by them, I could see just what they looked like. Glowing, red wiffle balls.

"Don't attack!" Baromon called out to us, his expression suddenly changing. "I have no intention of fighting the Twelve Legendary Warriors."

_How did he know—?_ My thought was interrupted by the booming of his attack against the ground below us. Dust billowed up just under our feet as he continued with his words, "I know you are protectors of the peace! And all of you must hear what I have to say!" He pressed his fingertips to a jewel embedded in his forehead and it began to emit beams of light. "I have a prophesy!" _Another prophesy?! Seriously, if I had a dollar for every time someone recalled a prophesy, I would have…a lot of dollars._

As we once again had to shield our faces, his voice rang out, "It concerns the revival of an ancient evil! Lucemon!" The beams of light displayed an image of the Digital World, so many pieces missing on its surface, but the image panned inward into one of the places where the Data was missing, past the crust of the world, through its entirety past an orb in the very core, to reveal one being in the very depths. The form couldn't be made out, but his face was distinct when he lifted his head, a wry smile in place. His blue eyes were like the coldest ice and filled with pure malevolence as he seemed to know we, the Legendary Warriors, were watching him.

I couldn't describe how his expression made me feel. Nothing but frightened to the very core, so much that I felt my Digimon form breaking apart as I descended to the ground, leaving me in my human form shaking in trepidation. "T-that was Lucemon?" I sputtered in a whisper, unable to raise my voice any higher. I wasn't sure what I was even looking at anymore, my mind moving farther and farther away from my body. "Those eyes…"

Hands placed upon my shoulders snapped me back into reality. My eyes peered sideways in one direction and then the other, meeting the soft eyes of the twins. I tried to give them each a smile, but it came out more like I was trying to bear something I'd eaten that tasted really horrible. I could see that they were both shaken by the sight of Lucemon as well, though they were still far better at concealing it than I was. Their expressions were completely identical, almost like they'd rehearsed it.

"So Lucemon's coming back, huh?!" Takuya's voice echoed out gruffly, and turning my head slightly, I saw that look in his eyes I knew oh-so well that made him absolutely perfect for his role as leader. He looked up at Baromon, his voice acidic. "You've got it all wrong! Lucemon was destroyed centuries ago by the Ancient Warriors!"

The prophetic Digimon was merely a speck from where we were standing, but every syllable that came from his mouth carried on and on as if he was standing right before us. "I will show you! The truth is about to come to being before your very eyes!" His words seemed to set off something. The entire wall under him cracked and broke under him, collapsing to the ground, but he remained suspended in the air. "Behold! This is where the Holy Mountains once proudly stood!"

The destruction of that portion of the wall exposed just what was behind it. An emptiness was revealed, only small portions of barren land floating about within the darkness. There was almost literally nothing left, and to believe his words that mountains once stood there was almost impossible to comprehend. There was so much missing from this world, and more and more was being taken. The more I saw, I realized then, the more I believed that Lucemon really was being resurrected. _But if he's still suspended in the center of the Digital World, then who's working for him now?_

"Great protectors have fallen to the evil that's tainted this world, preparing for the one who is destined to return!" Baromon began to slowly descend down to the ground, his expression stoic as it remained upon every one of us. When his feet touched the earth once far below him, he approached us silent-footed and with his hands folded and eyes closed, whispered within the silence, "Listen, the Digital World is crying out for your help…"

All of our mouths slightly agape, we looked about at each other. It was apparent that none of us heard such crying, I know I didn't hear a thing remotely like crying, but we didn't really want to question him, either. Yet there seemed to be unquestionable truth in his words; I didn't know what it was about this Digimon standing before us, but something made me eager to believe whatever he said. And by the expressions on my fellow Warriors' faces, they believed him unequivocally as well, driving Takuya to speak up for all of us, "Tell us all you know, Baromon. We're ready for it. We're here to answer the Digital World's call, no matter the cost."

Baromon opened his eyes and nodded to him slightly. "Very well." He began walking, and we had seemingly no choice but to follow. He entered a door of the ancient wall and stopped suddenly, peering down at the ground just before his feet. We waited, not sure what to expect until a section of the floor opened up, revealing a strange cavern underneath. Stairs automatically materialized, leading down into darkness. I could just barely make out a platform of some sort illuminated by the light above. "Follow me."

He led us down the steps to the platform. It seemed to be etched with mysterious markings, much like the language contained in Bokomon's book, but far more complex. I wished I could read it, know of what secrets it contained, but something told me that the language was dead now and reading it was far beyond impossible.

Takuya halted midway down the steps, asking, "Follow you where? There's nothing here."

"Wait a sec." I passed by him, continuing to down onto the platform. Peering down off the side, I noticed lights below, characters of the strange, ancient language floating upward and illuminated, blue disks that were glowing a pale yellow light. They drifted up past us, and I merely watched them mesmerized. Something about this place filled me with wondering, like it was a place I knew as out of a dream or imagining. "What is this place, Baromon?"

The Digimon I'd questioned stepped up beside me, towering over me, and looked out in the direction I had been gazing. "This place is the Digital World's Tunnel of History. Contained here are records of every event since the creation of this world, a sacred place created by AncientZeitmon for Digimon of all times to know of what has come to pass."

My face drifted up at the Digimon, murmuring in surprise, "AncientZeitmon? The Ancient Spirit of Time?" _That's why I felt like I've been here; part of me actually created this place…_

The familiar humming sound of my D-Tector drew me to pull it from my pocket. The screen flashed multiple colors, faster and faster with each one until it suddenly burst with a white light so bright, I could only hold the device away from me in hopes it wasn't self-destructing or something. The light created a beam that shot over to one of the floating, blue discs, bubbling like something was being formed just before our eyes. The light arched and curled about, twirling much like the Fractal Code around us during Spirit Evolution.

The curls of light grew tighter together, forming a shape that was much like that of a human. In moments it was possible to distinguish hands, legs, a head, and a finely-formed torso. Once the shape was created, details were added next; expertly-carved cheekbones, nails tipping each finger, every wrinkle of clothing and curve of armor. As the color was blooming in their proper places, it was easy to tell it was a woman. A warrior bathed in light with the radiance of a Greek goddess.

Sleek, silver hair fell down past the small of her back, having escaped from a steel helmet that framed her face in the distinct shape of a falcon's head. Several, interconnected pieces of armor covered her shoulders and midriff, coming down her arms in a thin layer to her wrists, where the sleeves of delicate clothing underneath flared out. Tight gloves concealed the back of her hands and all but two of her fingers. From her back, two silver wings extended, their feathers when touching the light reflecting in every color imaginable.

From where her chest plate ended, her skin was exposed down to her waist, covered with tattoo-like characters of the ancient language. Just below, resting upon her waist was a second set of interconnected armor, coming down to her feet. She bore a belt that hung diagonally, many things I knew not the identity of hooked to it. Single strips of armor identical to the ones on her arms went down to just above each knee, which was covered with a separate piece of thick metal. From there down were boots that had numerous buckles wrapping around each.

In one hand she held an intricately-designed bow. On this same hand, she wore a ring on one finger. Its band was thin and set in the middle was a single, violet-hued stone, but the part of the band where it was placed jutted out past her knuckle, pointing back at herself like the hand on a clock.

When the light from my D-Tector faded, the light from about her figure never ceased. She opened her eyes, revealing bright, electric blue orbs that stood out from the snow-like color of her skin. When she lifted her head to look upon each of us, I saw the symbol for Time emblazoned on her forehead. Her lips were a pale pink and the voice that escaped from them was like any other I'd ever heard, "I bid you welcome, young Warriors."

A silence filled the space when she paused. I found my lip shaking as I opened my mouth where my heart now was located to almost soundlessly question, "A-AncientZeitmon…?"

"Kimishima Mirai." She looked at me, her piercing, crystalline eyes glimmering as she took in my appearance, seemingly for the first time. A smile danced on her lips, set upon her pale face tenderly, and she reached out and stroked her warm, soft hand against my cheek. Her voice came out quietly, reminding me of water flowing down a small, gentle stream, "You have a nice face, a good quality of an Inheritor of my Spirits…" I didn't expect her voice to change, her tone now suddenly criticizing, "However, you seem to be lacking…" Her gaze trailed downward. "…some bust."

I felt my face become enveloped in flames, knowing that everyone had just heard that hunk of censure. The worst part was how I involuntarily had to look down at my chest to confirm her words. "THAT'S NOT _MY_ FAULT! BLAME _BIOLOGY_!"

She giggled lightly at my reaction and at just how red my face had gotten, and moved her gaze to look at each of the Warriors who were standing beside me. "Ophanimon has done well to assemble you all in this world. I have foreseen how each and every one of you persevered through every trial, and I am proud to deem you worthy of the Spirits of my beloved friends." She lifted one hand to gesture to each of my friends as she began to speak once again, "Kanbara Takuya of Flame, Minamoto Koji of Light, Kimura Koichi of Darkness, Orimoto Izumi of Wind, Shibayama Junpei of Thunder, and Himi Tomoki of Ice, my friends send their regards to you…"

"Wait a minute. When you say your friends, do you mean the other Ancient Spirits?" Takuya questioned, pulling out his own D-Tector and peering down at the screen. "If you're here, then why aren't any of the others?"

She looked to the brunette, a look in her eyes that almost seemed to say she saw something inside of him that wasn't really there. "I am not of this time. I have been sent here from the past, before our Slumber, by request of AncientGreymon; I have told him of what I have foreseen…" She paused, causing the Flame Inheritor to peer up from his Digivice. I noticed her ring change from violet to blue, and then back again. "…He has sent me to this time to deliver a message to you. On behalf of the Legendary Warriors of old, I come offering you a choice."

Her gaze averted to Baromon, who had kneeled at the arrival of my Ancient Spirit. "Rise, Baromon." She gave him a small smile when he complied. "You have done well protecting this place. Now I request you tell these children everything they must know. Only then can they know of what fully lies behind the decision they must make."

I looked at the other Warriors and saw they all bore the same expression that I did. Clearly AncientZeitmon intended on leaving us in the dark until she wanted to make known whatever it was she was keeping from us. She was one devious Digimon, even if her serious tone said differently. And with Baromon doing everything she said as if she was royalty—which did sort of make sense with her position in history—there was no way that we were getting answers before she desired.

The platform we were standing upon began to descend, rotating slightly as Baromon began his story, "At the very beginning of time, there were twelve Spirits and twelve different types of Data." I glanced over at AncientZeitmon, realizing she was one of those Spirits that existed since the very beginning. "There are Human and Beast type Spirits to each of these twelve…"

Bokomon interrupted abruptly, scrutinizing the Digimon that towered over him and seemingly annoyed that his job of telling us things was being taken from him, "Yes, yes, yes! That much we_ know._"

"There is more than that. Far more…" Baromon closed his eyes as the words he was speaking took image form and continued, "The Twelve Ancient Legendary Spirits banded together to defeat Lucemon and then sealed him in an area in the center of the Digital World. The _Dark Area_." A vision echoed his words, of the Ancient Warriors fighting Lucemon, of a seal being put on the evil Digimon and his form being trapped within an orb in the core of the world.

"All of us have heard this history lesson before!" Bokomon persisted, appearing to get on the larger Digimon's nerves.

He towered over Bokomon, glaring at him from above and dealing a look of intimidation. "Be quiet and listen!" He pointed his index finger out at an arising disc. "Behold and learn. Lucemon's demise led to this." We gathered around to watch this newest development. "The Warriors freed their Spirits; all twelve were released into our world, and as a result the Legendary Warriors of old fell into their Slumber…" Upon the disc, it showed the silhouettes of the Ancient Warriors, glowing gold and fading away, leaving behind their Spirits. "The Spirits were entrusted to the three Celestial Digimon, who were chosen to rule over the Digital World and keep the peace that the Warriors sacrificed their lives to provide." Their Spirits, in turn, shot over to the Celestials.

We all turned around to continue watching the scene take place, seeing the Celestials with the Spirits in their possession as Baromon narrated, "Five were given over to Cherubimon, two were placed in the care of Seraphimon, and the other three to Ophanimon. It was then, after the Spirits were secured in their possession that the Warriors found the Digital World safe enough to fall into sleep, and from that point onward, we knew nothing but amity." At that, the image faded away and I looked to AncientZeitmon, wondering how she must be feeling knowing that she'll fall into her Slumber when she returns to her time.

"You see, the epoch that followed was characterized as a long period of peace," he continued as a globe of the Digital World materialized without any pieces missing. "It existed throughout the entire Digital World…" The Dark Area surrounded us, the small sphere where Lucemon was captive floating over our heads. "But Lucemon was still there, biding his time, confident that over time he would return and take back control of what he had lost."

The fallen Digimon lifted his head, his eyes never ceasing to haunt us, and I could hear gasps all around me. Even as his figure faded away, the air about us had changed.

All of the images faded, and his story continued, "Then one day, an opportunity arose… He projected his aura into one of the Celestial Digimon. Cherubimon was a victim of evil…" The image of Cherubimon writhing in agony as his form changed appeared, his pure, light aura becoming tainted by the touch of evil. His cries rang out, becoming more and more detached from the goodness he'd once held. "After that, Lucemon used Cherubimon to collect the Digital World's Data for him." Spirals of Fractal Code shot to the Rose Morning Star, to the domain where Cherubimon had been hiding. "It is what caused the ravaged world you see before you—" The scene burst to reveal the world's ripped up and broken state how we all knew it to be now. "It's all because of the treachery of Lucemon…"

_Then Lucemon just used Cherubimon's feelings of unrequited love, disguising it as the motivation behind his deeds…_ I tightened my grasp around my D-Tector, my jaw locking into place. _It was far too perfect a situation to pass up. Any reasoning to keep Lucemon's resurrection out of suspicion…_ I looked to AncientZeitmon, who had been silent throughout the entire story; her face was expressionless, her blue eyes concealed behind pale eyelids. _I wonder how she's feeling right now. It seems like even with her ability of time travel, Lucemon's return is inevitable…_

I turned my eyes back when Baromon began to speak, the image of Takuya destroying and scanning Cherubimon forming, "When you vanquished Cherubimon, the massive amount of Data he'd collected was released and absorbed by Lucemon…" The pure Cherubimon's tears fell as he faded away, and the orb of Data I had seen floated down into the core of the Digital World. It pushed past the barrier of the Dark Area and disappeared.

A moment of silent ensued before Koichi jumped in, his eyes flaring, "Wait, that means Cherubimon didn't actually know anything! So when Ophanimon tried to purify him—"

"Lucemon had to fight to retain control," Koji continued quickly, his expression the exact same as his twin's. "It was him that acted _through_ Cherubimon all along; that's why his good side struggled with the darkness. The evil was being forced upon him."

Baromon closed his eyes in response to this and with the stated realizations, sighed, "All of this brings us to the present." Several discs floated around us, glowing brighter and brighter and each displaying a different part of the Digital World, all destroyed and Data missing. "Bear witness to the deplorable condition of the Digital World." Two figures then appeared, scanning the Fractal Code and only further bringing the world into its horrid state.

"Who are they?" Takuya questioned, his voice making his words sound more like a statement than inquiry. His face was firm, but his eyes full of emotion. It was evident that he knew instantly they were the next Digimon with whom we'd do battle.

Koji's voice came out hard, "They're sucking up the Fractal Code!" I looked over to him and realized he didn't possess the awestruck expression that everyone around him had; he didn't appear afraid. Instead, he looked just all-around angry. _That's right. It's our world too._

"The mountains, the forests, the cities—they're all disappearing!" My gaze shot over to Zoe as she let out her exclamation. As the peacekeeper of the group, she wouldn't show any sort of antagonism against them, I knew, but the worry was written on her face. She folded her hands as she watched all of the destruction take place, never once her emerald green eyes leaving the scene before her. "All of those innocent Digimon…"

Takuya spun on his heels to give Baromon a demanding look. "All right, so tell us. Who are they?!"

The prophetic Digimon's expression didn't once change, holding no real emotion in his eyes. He waited a moment for us to all be paying attention and for the silence to settle before he answered in a quiet, collected tone, "I don't know…"

No real answer received, I turned and looked to my Ancient Spirit, feeling the tense situation making me a bit on edge. My eyes quickly examined her physiognomy, her face unchanged as I almost instantly realized, as I asked her the Flame Inheritor's previous question, "AncientZeitmon, who are they? You out of anyone has to know, right?!" My inquiries drove all of the other Warriors to look at the goddess-like Digimon for an answer as well.

"This is where you make your choice." Her mien blank, she reached into a tiny pouch on her belt and pulled out a ring similar to her own, the jewel embedded a captivating blue rather than violet. "This is the ring of my sister, AncientSpaciamon, the Ancient Warrior of Space—" _Space and Time were sisters? That explains why Avaruusmon always sought after me…_ "—it can take you back to your world." She looked at each of us, her eyes analytical. "You have done well thus far, but there is far more to come. The struggles that will ensue surpass what you could ever imagine."

"But we're still going to win, right?" Tommy piped up, gaining the glance of the Ancient Warrior of Time. "I mean—"

JP cut in, his words blunt and a little bit rude all around, "What the kid's trying to say, do ya have a crystal ball or something that tells us if we're gonna get our butt whooped or not?" _Way to be obnoxious with your question._

But the Warrior was unfazed by his manner of speaking, still answering the common question, "The future is unclear. Lucemon's touch of evil shrouds my vision of what is to come. That is why…" She held the ring out to us in her open palm. "AncientGreymon requested for my coming to you. We allowed your arrival because I saw your journey up until this moment, but now that you are truly in danger, if you wish to do so, you can return to your home.

"We thank you for all you have done, and we wish not to disrupt your lives any further. It is unknown what Lucemon may do once he is revived, especially to those that call themselves the Legendary Warriors." A bright light enveloped us once she had paused and we ended up back at the staircase where we first began our history lesson. "Now what will you choose?"

Nothing had to be said between us; hardly a look shared. Takuya stepped up toward AncientZeitmon and he spoke for all of us, "We are _not_ leaving…" When he paused, his shoulders began to tremble. "Ophanimon and Seraphimon and so many other Digimon fought alongside us to save the Digital World and many of them lost their lives. It's up to us now. We haven't come this far and given this much to let it all go just because the future becomes unclear—we've overcome so many odds that were against us and we kept fighting, not knowing whether or not we were gonna make it out of this world alive…

"After fighting so many battles for a world that isn't even your own, you become attached to it. At first it was an unfamiliar place that we wanted to get away from, but now that we've made so many friends here and saw the life that thrived here, we came to love this place—it's like our second home. Because we're _not_ just some dumb human kids that stumbled into a foreign world 'cause of a weird text message, we're _not_ victims helpless to the war going on around us—" His russet-hued eyes burned like an eternal inferno, challenging AncientZeitmon to question the veracity of his words. "—we were the ones chosen to inherit the Spirits of Digimon—the inhabitants of this world! We're not leaving because we're Digimon too!"

"So screw the unclear future—we'll take it on!" I agreed with a grin, glancing at Takuya from the corner of my eye.

Zoe stepped up next to me, adding to my words with distinct confidence, "We won't give Lucemon a chance to destroy the Digital World while we're here—we're gonna keep fighting for all of those who fought for _us_!"

"Yeah, if you guys did it, and now we have your power, we can do it too!" JP gave AncientZeitmon a look that clearly said, 'what now, lady?'

Tommy laughed at the Warrior of Thunder's expression before putting in his two cents, "We'll stop him no problem! After all, he's just one of those bullies that need standing up to! Running away just doesn't solve anything!"

"If we don't do it, then who will?" Koichi questioned rhetorically, seemingly not as defiant as all of the other Warriors that had spoken before him. Clearly he wasn't used to Takuya's big, this-is-what-we-gotta-do rants and the things that followed.

Koji came up to his brother and put a hand on his shoulder, casting him a light smile before continuing, his voice fierce, "When we first arrived here, Ophanimon called us _DigiDestined_—destined for great things. To get great results, we have to _do_ something, and I believe that this is what Ophanimon was referring to! Why else would _we_ of all people be chosen if we weren't apt for the challenge? Great things are in store for this world as long as we work for them, and if Lucemon is trying to prevent them from happening, then all we can do is keep fighting!"

A soundlessness filled the air as we all stared at AncientZeitmon, waiting for her to take in our answer. Suddenly, she broke into a small smile. "Heh. Very well." She put the ring away and looked to each of us, pride shining in her eyes. "I am deeply pleased with how much you love this world. Maybe if the Digital World were to fall into turmoil again, it would be ideal to reach out to your world for assistance…" We must've been giving her pretty perplexed looks because she found humor when studying our faces. "Now it is time for me to depart. You have made your decision, and I wish you the best of luck. May the blessings of the Legendary Warriors of old shower upon you all…"

With her words echoing, her body began to scintillate and the coils of light began to unwind. My D-Tector began to hum and flash with color as the light began to return through its screen. The force of the light's impact made me falter a little and have to then brace myself. When all of it had returned to my Digivice, the humming died down and the screen darkened. As I stared down at it, I heard JP mutter, "Well, that lady sure knows how to make a flashy exit."

_No kidding._ I returned my D-Tector to my pocket and paused to wonder. _If she was like that, then what about the other Ancient Warriors? Can we really live up to their name? And Lucemon…if he was able to give them a fight like that that they had to go into Slumber, even when it was twelve to one…_ I looked down at my hands, the hands of just a normal human. _I hope our confidence isn't misplaced…_

The trembling of the entire tunnel roused me from my thoughts. The ceiling began to crumble above us and looking back, we saw all that my Ancient Spirit had created turning into Data. _It's them…_ "We have to get out of here!" I heard someone yell over the sound of the whole place beginning to collapse, causing us to get over the initial surprise and take initiative. Just as we all had got off the platform and started up the steps, I looked back to see the where we once stood erode into Fractal Code and disappear. I could feel a pang in my chest for all of the records of history being lost that the Ancient Warrior of Time had taken great effort to preserve as if it was my own work being destroyed before my eyes.

"Mi-chan, c'mon! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"

I didn't realize that I had stopped moving until Patamon was tugging on my shirt to get me going. I snapped back into attention, suddenly more aware, and snatched him up in my arms before taking off up the rest of the steps and out of the building. _Don't worry, AncientZeitmon. We _will_ save the Digital World. We'll restore the Tunnel of History for you _and_ the rest of the places that were destroyed as well. We can't let places that have such meaning to you be forgotten._

The entire area where the wall once stood broke away and turned into Fractal Code before our eyes. We'd barely gotten out of there alive, much less had time to even fight for it, yet here we were, standing before it with wide eyes. My heart was in my mouth, pounding away hard enough I could feel it in my toes. My arms grew limp and slid back to my sides, dropping Patamon from my grasp. Had we been just a few moments slower, we'd be gone with it.

Debris showered us, the dust creating a thick fog, and through it, we heard the laughter of two unfamiliar voices. They were silhouettes at first, but as they drew near, their details could be easily distinguished, along with the dark aura that went about their forms.

The first was a tall, white and gold Digimon. It had lanky, but heavily armored arms, a broad chest leading down to a thin waist, and long legs. Its head was more beastlike than the rest of its body, slightly bull-like with two horns just above its ruby-like eyes. Two, large, dark batwings sprouted from its back.

The other was shorter and more feminine in design, the primary colors on its body being various hues of pink and a dandelion yellow. It was slimmer than the former, but armor still covered its entire body. Its face was entirely covered with a pink mask of some sort and its torso had multiple yellow ribbons coming from its chest plate. On its right arm was a type of shield, golden in color, with the design of a cross emblazoned upon it.

"So you're the ones that destroyed this place!" Takuya stepped forward, past the rest of us slightly, glaring daggers at the two newest arrivals. Dirt was marred on his cheek and there was a scrape just below it, but he cared not of anything except them. "Who are you!?"

The taller of the two answered as they both continued to approach, its tone deep and highly masculine, giving me the impression it was male, "I am Dynasmon, the passionate warrior!"

And as if the appearance of the other wasn't evidence enough, its voice was higher and feminine, filled with a smug, yet somewhat blasé tone to reveal all I needed to know, "And I am Crusadermon, the indifferent warrior."

They both talked simultaneously, as if this was all a routine for them. "We are here for Lord Lucemon's justice!"

"We have come to fulfill Lucemon's destiny as his emissaries of evil!" Dynasmon stomped down, shaking the ground, his wings folded up to his form. He then outspread them, poised for combat with his hands out before him.

"We are supporters of his right to become supreme ruler of this world." Crusadermon twirled and posed delicately, pulling out a bright red rose and holding it between two of her fingers. "We serve Lord Lucemon by collecting Fractal Code."

Again the unified their voices, "And we are known to all as the Royal Knights!" _For knights, you really aren't at all that noble if you're supporting Lucemon._

"The Royal Knights?" Takuya repeated, more in confusion than anything. But he had a right to be confused, since the rest of us were as well. Even though they had managed to scan the mountains and Tunnel of History, they didn't look that intimidating when they were putting on that little show of dramatic poses and rehearsed lines for us. But then again, the most evil of the Digimon here always seemed to be the most disturbingly-awkward.

"Why?" Baromon's voice boomed from behind us, and when we turned toward him, his form materialized in the dust. "Why would the Royal Knights who have always been known as defenders of right ally themselves with Lucemon?"

Crusadermon giggled lightly at his question and brought the rose up to her concealed face. "That was the very thing those _other_ Royal Knights questioned of us before we sent them to their _beautiful_ oblivion; you're just as blind as them, I see. It must take an intelligent mind to see what is wrong with the Digital World… This world is…disordered." She broke off into more chortles, giving Dynasmon his chance to speak and answer Baromon's question.

He closed his eyes as he responded, "And the only one who can fix it is Lord Lucemon!" His eyes snapped back open and he bent down to the ground, digging his fingers into the dirt, Crusadermon following suit. It instantly turned into Data under them. "He asks, and we shall complete it!"

Takuya's entire face ignited with rage as he lunged forward, D-Tector in his grasp. "Stop! Stop it _now_!"

The rest of us followed, feeling his passion, and Spirit Evolved. He and Koji went to their Fusion Spirits, I into Polymerization, and the others to their Human. As the Data the Knights were retrieving disappeared, dust arose in thick clouds, camouflaging us as we circled them with agile ability and speed, waiting for the opportune moment to attack from any given angle. They didn't move from their places, just waiting for us to reveal ourselves.

"So it is you after all," Dynasmon noted, his arms positioned for an attack.

Crusadermon continued where her partner left off, again poising herself after finishing the Fractal Code collection, "The humans that have inherited the Spirits of the Twelve Legendary Warriors. We've been waiting for a chance to play with you."

"We won't let you keep destroying the Digital World!" Aldamon called out as I sensed his presence near me. I felt a gust and knew he had just breezed right past me. "It's so wrong! Don't you understand what you're doing?!"

"The Digital World belongs to everyone! We won't let you go and do as you wish to it!" BeoWolfmon added, his voice a bit distanced from me, but I could still hear the distinct passion in his tone.

Kumamon's voice came out next, "Yeah, you have no right to wreck it!"

We tightened our circle around the Royal Knights, causing them to back up against each other as Kazemon shouted to them next, adding further onto Aldamon's point, "Don't you understand what will happen here if Lucemon is revived?! There will be nothing left of the Digital World! Your home and the home of every other Digimon will be gone!"

"There is only chaos in this world—Lucemon will restore order!" Dynasmon responded, fervor in his voice. "Whether or not we have a home doesn't matter—trivialities of that manner are meaningless! To thrive, you must cast aside such futile things and realize that in chaos, there lies opportunity."

Again Crusadermon picked up with a distinct explanation, "Which is why we must let Lord Lucemon recreate this world. Only then will the Digital World be brought back to order. It is useless to fight for something already at the brink of destruction; it is far more productive to start anew and establish law and order from the very start."

I ground my teeth, shouting back to them, "You're both wrong! There's always a chance to improve something from the state it's in! You don't have to remake the Digital World to improve upon it! And to have Lucemon do it is the _opposite_ of what's good for this world! He'll create a world of sufferings, and there will be no freedom left for all of the Digimon that wish for it—he'll become mad with power just as he became centuries ago! Things won't get any better if he's resurrected! If he takes control of the Digital World again, then there won't be any hope left for anyone!"

They both chortled at my words as Crusadermon answered me, "Aren't you a snarky one? Pouring sentiment into fiery words won't do a thing for you. Trying to contradict what's clearly right will only make your beautiful end that much more enjoyable to deliver."

"We'll see about that!" Beetlemon lunged at them with a Thunder Fist, but without having even glanced at him, they took a step forward and he shot past with a complete miss. Continuing the now-initiated barrage, Aldamon came forth, his arm consumed in fire as he pounced on Dynasmon. BeoWolfmon came in from the other side with his sword in tow, and came down hard. With both of Dynasmon's hands occupied, I came in from behind.

I drew my sword and poised, but right as I was going to come down upon him, he ducked, grabbing BeoWolfmon and Aldamon, and pulled them into my path. I collided head-on with them and all three of us tumbled onto the ground clumsily. I pulled myself back up only to see Dynasmon with his hands out before him, a beam shooting out of each palm, one colored red and the other blue, right at the other Warriors who had been battling Crusadermon. "DNA Disintegrator!"

The two beams wrapped weaved in and out of each other and hit them all directly. I could hear their screams at contact and watched them fall to the ground with their Spirit Evolutions breaking. _No. The Royal Knights will pay for what they have done. I'll never stop fighting for my friends, not after everything they've done for me…_

BeoWolfmon and Aldamon lunging back into combat with Dynasmon, I took off after Crusadermon. I could see that pink bitch preparing to scan more Fractal Code, her fingers sunken into the dirt, but I got there before that familiar, shimmering Data could appear. My sword glowing white and a cold mist enveloping the entire blade, I leapt up and came from above her, "Kiyomero Buredo!" I swung downwards, but she spun, about, anticipating my move.

She threw up her shield in between her body and my sword and cackled at my attempt, "Nice try, honey, but brute force will get you nowhere!" She shoved me back and closed the gap between us, the ribbons about her becoming razor sharp as they began to slash at me faster than a blink of an eye. "Spiral Masquerade!" She laughed as I could only brace myself and take the attacks full-force, pushing me back farther and farther. "It amuses me how you think that you can stand up to me."

"I don't _think_…" I curled my fingers and the numerous blades on my arms slid out. "I _know_." I thrust my arms about in my attempt to push past her attack and get some damage on her. One of the ribbons struck me in the face and I flinched from the blow. That gave her a chance.

Her hand withdrew into her shield and ducked low. "Fist of Athena!" She slammed her fist into my chest, winding me, and knocking me to the ground. "Where is your confidence now?" She paused, but I didn't respond to her question. "Prepare for your _beautiful_ demise." _I'm getting tired of your obsession with the word 'beautiful', you freak. When I get done with you, your face will be the very opposite of beautiful. _"Spiral Ma—"

A shot of light took her out, cutting off her threat at the source. She toppled over, but as soon as she'd regained her composure she saw standing between her and I was MagnaGarurumon. He aimed a single gun at her, scoffing coldly, "I wouldn't move if I were you."

At his threat, she giggled lightly, pulling out a rose and holding it as she did before with that little pose. "Ooh, look who's putting on a macho act for his little girlfriend. No matter how tough you look outside—" Her voice twisted deviously and she took off with incredible speed, shooting in the Warrior of Light's direction. "—you're still weak on the inside!" And released a full cackle, her shield concealing her hand in preparation for a Fist of Athena.

MagnaGarurumon began firing his weapons at her, but he called back to me in the midst of it all, "You have to go back and keep the others safe!" I opened my mouth to object, barely even thinking about moving, but as he was on the receiving end of Crusadermon's attack and he was doubling over, he still yelled back at me, "Go!"

No longer able to hesitate despite watching him take a hard blow, I scrambled to my feet and snatched up my sword from the ground. The result of the ongoing battle between Dynasmon and EmperorGreymon was already cataclysmic, and it was only a matter of time before Crusadermon and MagnaGarurumon's was the same way. I saw exactly what Koji was implying when he told me to go protect our friends—it was far too dangerous here. As I ran to them, explosions rang out all around me, the booming deafening and the sheer power of the colliding attacks enough to completely obliterate anything it touched. This was far more than a warzone now. This was a living hell.

A wave of lava spread out from its epicenter—the raging battle of the Warrior of Flame and his opponent—and I could hear the humans' yells. Putting my sword in my sheave with a single, fluid motion, I picked up speed, and got in between them and the towering tidal wave of fire, outspreading my arms. "Fortified Continuum!" The glowing, half-sphere that made up my force field encased the Warriors of whom I was told to protect, and we could only watch as the lava washed over its surface.

I felt it burning my fingers as I fought to keep my attack stable and I ground my teeth. _If Taky and Koji are out there fighting, then the least I can do is defend the others. I can't fail them…_

When the fire all burned out into nothingness, not even cinders, a scene was revealed to us. The two Unified Warriors falling. I dropped my force field and would have gone out to them, had Baromon not stopped me. "You must not leave them. They need you." _They need me?_ He went forward, pressing his fingers to the gem in his forehead, and flared out his cloak as he did before. "Great Spirits of the universe, give me power! Meteor Dance!"

The crimson orbs rained down from the heavens, but the Royal Knights destroyed them all with the greatest of ease by merely a swiping their arms. And the force behind that movement released razors of light, shooting across the ground with great force. I cast up my force field, but Baromon stepped in front of me, holding onto the edges of his cloak and blocking my view. "Spirits, hear me! Give me strength to protect these brave children!"

The attack hit him full force, and he cried out with a sound that sent my emotions spiraling. "Baromon!" As the scream tore up my throat, a shudder rippled throughout my entire being as his form burst into shards of light. His Data was scanned, and his DigiEgg departed, leaving me lost for words. _He protected us—he sacrificed himself for us…_

My distraction weakened my Fortified Continuum and the attack broke through it, having still retained force stronger than any move of my Human Spirit. The attack sent me and all of the humans behind me reeling backwards down a small slope. I clutched my head, my vision spinning uncontrollably, and I felt horribly disoriented. I held onto my Polymerization Spirit form and pulled myself back up to my feet. I looked about at my friends and my breath got caught up in my throat. They were all unconscious, their Fractal Code rotating around them.

I froze at the sight of their limp forms, my breath hitching. "No…guys…" My ears caught the sound of someone gasping for breath and my eyes shot over to Koichi, who was struggling to get back up to his feet. "Koichi!" I ran over to him and offered my hand. "You all right?"

He clutched his chest in his thin fingers with one hand and took my hand with his other, his body trembling uncontrollably as I helped him up and held him steady. His deep, blue orbs were flecked with crystalline slivers that moved about whenever he blinked, and he sputtered back an unsure response, his voice unstable, "I…I think so." His head turned back at the other Warriors, his eyes wide as he stared at them. "B-but the others… They—"

He stopped when the sound of Crusadermon's laughter cut through the air, an unappealing sound that could've shattered any thickness of glass. "Allow me the pleasure of stripping these human children of their Data." My head shot up when she began to walk over, her manner of doing so like it was the catwalk. "I've never received the pleasure of tasting the Data of humans—it's so _beautiful_, is it not? I can only imagine how it must taste!"

"And you're gonna have to keep on imagining, 'cause I'm not gonna let you anywhere near these guys." I stepped in front of Koichi, my fingers grasping my sword. I bent my knees, studying her figure for some sort of weak point. _I already failed Koji by not protecting them. I can't fail him a second time…_

"Don't think that we're going to, either." EmperorGreymon supported his weight on his sword and rose to his feet, MagnaGarurumon following his lead. His eyes burned and stormed with that complex he was all-too known for. "No one gets away with hurting any friend of mine. And don't you dare take another step; otherwise, there'll be some serious hell to pay. Ask anyone here…" He glanced at each of us, his irises stagnant. "…I don't bluff."

Crusadermon was unfazed by his remark, her voice coming out sarcastic, "How brave and noble you are. Too bad it won't save you from the inevitable."

"You won't be brave for much longer, _Legendary Warriors_." From behind her, Dynasmon levitated slightly above the ground. He folded his arms up in an X-pattern against his chest and his red eyes lost all expression. His mouth opened, revealing horse-like teeth as he let out a roar. "Breath of Wyvern!" His entire body was enveloped in a silvery, mist-like aura that took form into a giant dragon. Its head curved toward us, mauve eyes set aglow and mouth agape.

I threw up a force field to protect my friends—trying desperately to do as Koji said, but my attempt was all in vain. Nothing that I could possibly conjure up would've been able to defend against the magnitude of the hell that was coming our way.

All around us became total whiteness and the time of a single blink of an eye, pain was all I knew.


	41. Chapter 39

**I'm baaaaack! And hell, this is a long chapter! Longest chapter in the entire fic! woot woot! *throws confetti* and my was this chapter FUN! I understand it was a looong wait, but I spoiled you guys with a bi-weekly update last time anyway. :P**

**And now for some chapter-related things! Once again Mirai breaks Digimon season boarders by commenting how Taky sounds like someone from 01/02 who happens to have the same English voice actor. ;) **

**Next, thanks to my dear buddy Kari-chan (aka , one of the awesomest people ever!) got me addicted to the song first mentioned in this chapter, even to the point of making me go out and buy the CD its on... *shot'd* And also, thanks to Digidestined of Sunshine for saying something in a review that I just HAD to quote in this chapter (twice!). So thank you, my dearies!**

**Oh yes, and in this chapter, Taky acts pretty stupid. But I'm dead serious when I say that's how he was in the actual episode. I'd hit him too if I were Mirai... His stupidity is a lot to handle in this, and eventually I got so brain dead from listening to him that I got bored of descriptions, so I got a little lazy in describing the Warriors' attacks that we've heard a million times before. Hope you don't mind XD**

**In this chapter, there's also a (big) mention of Yugioh Abridged by Little Kuriboh. Never seen it? Go watch it. Naow.**

**And now for the anouncement I'm sure many of you will like hearing, in this particular chapter, I have written what I consider the best fluff/romance part I've ever concocted. I wasn't even planning on any of it being in here, but I believe that it's because of over-exposure to Eric Dill, Taylor Swift, and text messages from my bud (we speak of fluff much more than one would expect to be normal) that spurred me to write this. And my gosh, it felt so good to write it too, since I feel the mood in this fic has been so serious lately. **

**But at the same time, I feel like I described Koji in a very feminine way...I hope that's just me. o-o**

**And now my dear poppets, I present you with the last filler chapter of Wherever You Will Go and one of the best episodes in the entire season for its absolute stupidity!**

**Please enjoy and R&R, loves~!**

* * *

Chapter 39

I ached.

Those two words were all I could say in accordance with my current condition. I couldn't recall what had happened, but damn, did I know how it left me. I probably wouldn't have felt this crappy if I'd been run over by a school bus. _Oh dear God…_ I didn't even want to begin to describe how bad my head hurt. And man, it was pretty cold out too; if I had thought that the Dark Continent was cold with its desolate emptiness, then this was a whole new story. And I had a pretty big crick in my neck as well, probably from whatever surface I was laying on. _Please tell me it's not the floor of hell's depths. Because if it is, then Satan has gotta fix his furnace…_

Before I knew it, I had opened my eyes. Wasn't sure if it was voluntarily, but regardless, I found myself staring up from the bottom of a crevice or something of that nature, my eyes locked on a very sparkly night sky. _Well, apparently I'm not dead…_ Holding my face with one hand, I tried to get a hold of my bearings. It wasn't working very well, hence my moaning, "Oh hell…"

"I know that random cursing anywhere! Mirai must be awake!"

I tried my best to sit up just as Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon came over to me. It was Bokomon that must've just spoken, I concluded with a sigh. I looked to each of them, but my gaze settled on Bokomon, since I knew that he out of all of them was the best suited to answer the questions that I had. "Hey, Bokomon, where are we? Is this what the Royal Knight's attack did?" I looked about to see if there were any remnants of the place where we had made a battlefield with Crusadermon and Dynasmon, but my eyes stopped at the limp forms of my friends. A gasp escaping, I scrambled to my feet and went closer, but froze with the uncertainty of what to do. With my feet stilled, the rest of my body took the opportunity to begin to shake. "What's happened to them?!"

"They've been this way for a long time, I'm afraid…"

Keeping my eyes off of Bokomon as he answered, I only could stand in silence. The bruises and injuries my friends had sustained were practically glowing, pointing out to me that I failed to protect them. Baromon told me they _needed_ me, and I still couldn't do anything to keep them safe… I dropped to my knees, my fingers grasping at my scalp, as I squeezed my eyes shut and tilted my head upward. "This is my fault. I'm not strong enough to protect them…" Lyrics then began to slip from my lips, only a light, melodic whisper, "Run for your life, my love. Run and you don't give up all that you are, all that you want. Run for your life right now, and if you don't know how, I'll come back with you and take all that's true and leave all that's burned behind. Run for your life…"

My train of thought was interrupted by Patamon's voice calling out sharply, "Hey, guys! Get over here; Koichi's awake!"

I opened my eyes before I could think about it and jumped to my feet. I saw the older twin on the ground, struggling to get up. "Koichi!" I ran to him and placed myself down next to him, instantly wrapping my arms around him and pressing my face into his shoulder. My voice was muffled as my lips pressed to his sleeve, "I'm so sorry, Koichi…" I refused to let my tears come out, but inside me, they couldn't stop falling. "I failed—I failed to protect you and the others. Baromon told me to keep you safe, and I couldn't do it…" As much as I hated wallowing in self-pity, this was one of those times that I had to hate myself. I promised myself I'd be a better person and repay the others for everything they've done, but I'd done nothing. How much of a friend was I really?

He placed a hand on my head, causing me to lift my face. "You tried." He tried to give me a smile, but he came up short in that area. Even he was sort of glum at current. "It doesn't make you any less than any of the other Warriors." His crystalline orbs reflected my distraught face as we locked gazes. "Although…" His eyes shifted away, adding to his melancholy appearance. "…what happened to Koji?"

I looked over to the form of the mentioned Warrior of Light, a frown keeping my expression occupied, but didn't respond to the inquiry of the Warrior of Darkness. He changed none since I had looked upon him those short minutes before, but just to look upon him in that battered state a second time rid me with much more than that first gaze. I felt my face contort and looked away with closed eyes. I couldn't shake that feeling that I received upon looking at his form—or the form of any of my friends, either. That piercing feeling of culpability felt heavy on my shoulders as it tried to bring me down.

My eyes peeked out from where they were hiding and they rested on my rough hands. "Please, Koichi." My voice wasn't much more than a mutter. I was bogged down in my efforts to pull myself out of this. "Go to him."

"Not without you." He got up and took my hand. His eyes were sincere as he tried to give a weak smile and pulled me to my feet. I thought my feet weren't going to follow once he started walking, but there was just some aspect about this boy that made me instantly put my trust in him. Maybe it was his genuine innocence that never ceased to shine. Maybe because he shared a bond with his brother that saw similarity to my distinct affection for him.

I remained standing when we came to the younger twin, and Koichi dropped to his knees, causing our hands to pull apart. I couldn't describe the look on his face; I never really knew well the bond of two brothers as I never paid any attention to what sort of connection my _Nii-san_ and Yukio possessed, trapped in my self-absorption and need for _Nii-san_ to be my own. But those emotions weaved into Koichi's eyes offset an entirely new appearance that I hadn't ever seen. His voice sounded like there was something missing within it, "Koji…please be all right…"

"I'm sure he'll be just fine once he wakes up," Bokomon piped up from behind us. By his tone of voice, I could hear that straining to console, but also that hint of truth and honesty that he always seemed to have when providing us with knowledge.

The ebony-haired boy brought up his hands as if he was going to try to rouse his younger brother, but then decided against it. The smallest of smiles appeared on his face as he said with a renewed confidence, "We need to get these guys to a safe place." He rose back to his feet and looked to me, his eyes sharp and determined. "We should go look for help."

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's go. At this rate, there's gotta be someone out there that'll be willing." _As long as we don't run into those Royal Knights_, I added mentally, glancing up towards the night sky. I couldn't keep myself from wondering just how far away they were. For all we knew, they were right outside this crevice we were in, just sitting around waiting for us. But that thought really didn't help to open a positive thinking store, since our given place could probably determine just how likely those new enemies were to show up. "But…where are we?"

"Well…" Neemon began, looking upwards with this stupefied look implanted on his bunny face. But then he suddenly smiled really big and had this look like he was about to say 'ah-ha! I have just discovered a new color!' "…I got it! We're at the bottom of a hole!"

A distinct groan escaped my lips and a facepalm was triggered automatically just as Bokomon gave his annoyed response to his comrade's "words of wisdom", "What a brilliant deduction, Commander Obvious."

But before of this stupidity that would ensue hit my ears, Koichi got my attention to pull me away from our Digimon friends, and we approached the side of the hole. Looking up, it was at a slight slant with plenty of footholds, so I assumed it wouldn't be necessarily _impossible_ to climb. Just very difficult. We exchanged a resolute glance before beginning to climb up. Just after a few moments, it had proven to be more work than I suspected (but I digress, it wasn't as bad as KaratsukiNumemon Mountain) and just as Koichi quickly noted, it felt like the air was much thinner than it should've been. Well, that explained my headache…

My fingers grasped at the rock, holding tight so that I could step up higher. The top felt like it was getting farther away, and then looking down…so did the ground…

I suppressed the urge to let out some sort of pitiful noise as I momentarily paused to regain my bearings. My gaze automatically adjusted to Koichi just a little lower down than me. He hadn't given up; therefore, I couldn't quit on him. The others were counting on me as well; they _needed_ me. I refused to fail them a second time. The necessity to pay them back for all that they've done for me was too imperative to keep failing, otherwise that debt would never be paid.

"Just a little farther…"

His voice was strained when he spoke. I merely watched him as he reached up for the next foothold when the notch he was standing upon crumbled under him. He yelled out as he began to plummet, and I felt my heart beginning to beat out of time. "Koichi!" I reached out my hand to grab his, and my fingers barely missed his, causing the flashbacks to reverberate within my skull and take over my vision. "_N..Nii-san…_!"

_Running. Descending the stairs so frantically that I almost fell. My desperation driving me. Watching as my brother tripped and stumbled to struggle for balance. Reaching out and watching in horror as my hand passed through his..._

"Hey! Wha-what's up with this?!"

My vision snapped into reality at the sound of Koichi gasping. I looked down just as he bounced upward past me, drawing confusion straight through the turmoil I possessed only moments before. "Wha—?" I felt my face contort pretty much to match the one the Warrior of Darkness possessed as he realized that he was basically floating for…some reason. I stared for a good while as he bounced from rock to rock, pushing off each one like there were springs attached to his shoes.

"Koichi, since when do you know how to fly?" Bokomon questioned up to him. I didn't blame him; it was my question too. _Yeah, that's so not fair!_

Suddenly Koichi's face lit up like a child at the arcade and he laughed in a way that it was one of the cutest sounds that I'd ever heard. I'd never seen someone so happy so soon after nearly falling to their death. "I don't know, but I _dig_ it!"

That did it. I couldn't contain myself; I began to laugh at his words. "Koichi, that is by far the awesomest thing you've ever said. _Ever._" I watched him ascend and wondered if I could to that too. It didn't seem like he was familiar with his extremely-abnormal jumping ability, so maybe this was one of the weird quirks of this particular place that we were currently located. There was no telling just where the Royal Knights' attack took us and what weird, dysfunctional rules applied here. So with that decided, I let go of my foot holds and dropped.

I heard the others shout at me for my sheer idiocy and now was a pretty sucky time to regret the fact that I didn't even bother testing my theory before being my own guinea pig. I closed my eyes—as if _that_ would do anything—and prayed to all the gods I could think of that my plan wasn't as dumb as it was beginning to seem. I braced myself for impact, but then felt my feet lightly touch the ground and bounce back up again as if I was on a trampoline. I reopened my eyes and looked down at the ground growing farther and farther away. Releasing a sigh of relief, I noted, "Well, if that didn't work, that woulda sucked!"

Mimicking Koichi's technique of bouncing from place to place to work my way up, I joined him at the top. The look on his face was pretty dazed if I'd ever seen a dazed face before. I crossed my arms and responded to his look with an amused tone, "I'm kinda stupid, but not suicidal."

He chortled at this, but then stopped abruptly, seemingly something catching his eye. "Wait a second. What—?" He turned slightly, causing me to look where he had averted his gaze to. "What's going on here?" And that was my exact question as well. Because it wasn't every day we woke up on the Digital World, looked up into the sky, and saw…the _Digital World_? _What the hell is this? Are we in space?! How the hell did we get in space?!_

"Either someone cloned the Digital World or we are _not_ on it anymore," I muttered, trying to figure out just how this was possible. Even if we did get to outer space somehow, it really didn't seem like we would've traveled this far from the force of the attack. But then again, its intensity did leave the others rendered unconscious, so there was no telling just how all of this happened. It was far too early to try to come up with an answer, nor was it a good time. Right now we had to find our friends some help.

And just as that thought came to me, we caught sight of a bright light from behind us. We turned towards it, arms up to shield our eyes, and coming towards us was this strange vehicle that looked sort of like a jeep and army tank mashed into one strange contraption. It made a racket as its wheels turned and apparently the driver didn't know how to turn his brights off, because the headlights were really, really bright. And looking at the driver and all the passengers, I wasn't sure what they even were, for that matter. From the distance they were away, they looked like their heads were pretty pointy.

"No offense, little humans, but you've got yourselves the human-in-the-headlights look, uh-huh-huh!" one of them called out—their weird manner of ending a sentence aside—as their car came to a squeaky-wheeled halt just before us. I could now determine that these Digimon were completely star-shaped with sashes coming from the point atop their heads, and set in the center of their star-shaped bodies were round, blue eyes. "You need a ride, dontchya?"

Koichi instantly smiled at the Digimon oh-so eager to pick up hitchhikers. "Yeah, thanks! Our friends are unconscious down there—" His eyes shifted down into the bottom of the hole, and for a brief moment, he revealed a frown, but it was gone in a flash. "—and we don't know where we are."

I crossed my arms and skeptically looked at them. It might not have been just coincidence that they arrived right when we got out of that hole and were so willing to help us out. "And we don't know how to get them up here, even if we _did_ know who you are." Narrowing my eyes, I watched as they all shifted their gazes onto me and if they had faces, I'm not certain what sort of expression I would've seen at that particular moment.

"Why, we're the Starmon! No reason to make that look at us, little missy—we know you humans hold the Spirits of the Twelve Legendary Warriors tryin' to take down them Royal Knights, and we're all behind you to show them what for!" At its words, I eased slightly, but still held my suspicions. "As for your friends, we can get 'em out and give them the best care we can muster, uh-huh-huh." With that, the other Starmon hopped out of the tank, one of them carrying this weird mechanism, and approached the end of the ledge.

Koichi and I only watched in curiosity as they attached the mechanism to the very edge and pressed a button. Something lit up inside the weird machine, and it began to decompress and unfold. Within a matter of moments, a staircase formed itself all the way to the bottom of the crevice. Without hesitation, the Starmon began down them and spoke to Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon words that I couldn't hear, but could easily assume. In moments, the three Digimon we called friends began to trek up the steps (not without Neemon obnoxiously counting each one), and the Starmon began to carry the other Warriors up close behind. My heart lurched into my mouth at the sight. If they dropped any one of them, they'd plummet to the ground now far below.

Unable to remove my eyes from the ascending Starmon, I muttered to the one that had remained, "Thank you." One hand grasped my other, desperately trying to convince myself that it'll soon be Koji's hand. All I needed was patience and a little optimism. "How can we repay you?"

The cheerfulness he possessed was evident in his tone. "No need. It's the bare minimum we can do for the Legendary Warriors. The entire Digital World is indebted to your valiance, uh-huh-huh."

I tried to attempt a smile in my gratitude, but found myself stagnant with my eyes trained to that ebony-haired Warrior that circled within my mind without end. _Why haven't they awaken yet and we have? _I punctured my lip with my top teeth and watched as they loaded my friends into their vehicle, their hands delicate as they worked. _Koji. Guys... I just hope the Starmon can help you… At least _they'd_ be of more help than I was._

"Hey, Mirai, you coming?"

My mind was ripped from its musings when I heard Koichi's voice and saw his hand stretched down before me. He was already in the open bed of the Starmon's tank-thing and giving me a genuine smile. I couldn't think of any others besides those twins that had a smile like that. It was a powerful notion. It was what drove me to display a small smile of my own, take his hand, and get in.

It was a small, yet roomy vehicle. The top was entirely open and had benches lining the sides where we sat. The control console was in the front with no seats, forcing the Starmon driving to stand. The other Warriors were on the floor, and the Starmon tending to them knelt down while pressing wet cloths to their foreheads. I watched with wary trepidation; it felt like a sharp edge was sliding down my throat, twisting about as I felt that in more ways than one, this was my fault.

I could hardly feel the bumps as we drove along, my gaze obedient to the Warrior of Light. Slowly, I slid off my seat and made a half-crawl to him. It only took a single, solid glance to the Starmon tending to him for the star-shaped Digimon to hand me the cloth and retreat to give me space. The cloth was cool and damp in my hand. I lifted Koji's head and placed it on my lap, beginning to dab his face with the cloth while watching him as if I suspected something unusual. I studied his flawless face, memorizing every curve and mark and feature. I ran my fingers up his face past the hair that framed his face and pulled off his bandana, allowing his bangs to fall over his forehead in delicate strands.

Pressing his bandana against my lips lightly, I inhaled and took in his familiar aroma. There was something about his scent that made my mind flash back to home. Not that brick and mortar I could recall with distinct, memorized vivacity, but _home_, where my heart was located. And it took no longer than that word to form in my mind for me to realize my heart really wasn't that far away. _Is it…_ My eyes shifted lightly from his bandana down to his serene visage. Instantly I received that flutter in my chest that bore ever-so much resemblance to the once I had received when first setting eyes on him. _…right here?_

I suddenly caught ear of the conversation that the Starmon driving was having with Koichi and Bokomon, my mind coming to attention as soon as Koichi spoke, "So we're on the moon?"

The Starmon seemed pretty cheerful that we had come for a visit on his lonely, little, spacial body. "Yessiree, Mr. Green-Sleeve!" _Did you really just call him that?_ "This here is the one of the three moons of the Digital World—the blue one to be exact! Your typical scoop of blue moon ice cream, uh-huh-huh!" _Yeah, that was some joke there._

"I guess that explains why we could jump so easily," Koichi responded, causing Patamon to question his reasoning. "Well, the gravity here is a lot less than on earth, so we all weigh less—" Patamon's increasingly large eyes caused him to try to further elaborate. "Uh, well, you see, gravity is the force that holds us all to the ground. Without it, we'd all just float out into space. And since the moon is smaller than earth, it has less gravity, meaning there isn't as much force pulling us down, giving us the ability to jump higher because the force of gravity is what gives us weight and—" He made a face of slight irritation. "I'm not very good at explaining this, am I?"

The youngest Digimon just continued to make that obfuscated expression as the Warrior of Darkness got flustered in his attempt to dumb down science even further, but instead, Bokomon cut in, "I'm not certain that I fully understand either, but all I know is that weight loss with relocation is something that I could live without."

According to Neemon, this was the opportune time to make something a little dull-witted come out of his mouth to annoy Bokomon. "Why? You wanna lose weight the normal way? Just remember: A moment on the lips, forever on the hi—!"

*SNAP!*

As Neemon yowled in pain and fell over with a hollow-sounding thud, Koichi tried to ignore what just occurred, albeit he couldn't keep a slight half-smile off his face, and proceeded to question, "But wait, how did we all get here in the first place?"

This time a different Starmon answered, the one that was tending to Tommy, but his appearance and voice were exactly the same as the last one that spoke. He watched the ebony-haired boy with distinct curiosity as if to question if he was truly serious that he didn't know the manner of our arrival. "I couldn't say for sure, but you probably caught a warp from an observation point. That's how we got here many years ago, uh-huh."

"What do you mean 'a warp'?" I piped up quietly, gingerly sliding my finger across a small bruise on Koji's face, thinking it was dirt marred upon his cheek, and instantly received a bang of guilt when he unconsciously flinched in response. Even when I was trying to do good, I'd caused those I cared for pain…

It took him a moment to gather the words, and when he did, they came out sort of slow, seeing as though defining such a thing must've been unneeded to those that lived on this moon. "In select places in the Digital World, there's a bend within the space between the earth and the moons, creating a direct route to and from space. Sometimes one of these bends in the spacial fabric is created from a great force seeking to pierce through it. The warps made in this way eventually will re-seal themselves, since they're not of natural formation."

I nodded in understanding while Koichi noted, "That makes sense. Then the warp we came through must've been made from the Royal Knights and that last attack." _I knew they were behind this. Only evil can come from those two…_

"Well, at least you two are doing all right. There's no telling what sort of effects such a rigorous journey would have on humans. It's amazing how few injuries you've sustained despite all of this," Bokomon stated, mainly keeping his gaze on Koichi when saying this, having previously seen—rather, _heard_, remembering my initial swearing—how I had been when I first awoke. Koichi, on the other hand, had no real damage done.

"Maybe you just got lucky!" Neemon, recovered from the recent blow to the waistband, answered optimistically.

When the navy-eyed boy didn't answer, his gaze trained to his hand as he turned it about, I decided to give an attempt at the whole logic-thing, "Well, maybe it was because Koichi was directly behind me in the force field. There was more force blocking the attack… As for me…" The images of the battle previous flashed behind my eyes, and hand-in-hand with the recollection, the overwhelming shame and feeling of uselessness. "…I really didn't sustain that many injuries in the battle. And plus, I was still Spirit Evolved when Dynasmon's final attack was unleashed…"

We had all just sunken deep into silence when the Starmon driving suddenly spoke up from the front of what I now figured out was a moon rover, "And if you look just to your left, you will see a giant rock! Look to the right, and you'll see another giant rock!" He must've heard my annoyed groan from the back of the rover. "But most importantly, if you look just before you, you will see the moon base where we live! Yup, welcome to our home, sweet dome, uh-huh-huh!"

As he snorted in amusement for his own, lame excuse for a joke, we actually did take his advice and look at the civilization spread out before us. They were like big bubbles or snow globes (_Snow Globe!_) with weird, anthill-like buildings inside, interconnected by tubes. The buildings inside were set aglow like nightlights. I just hoped it was as friendly of a place as it appeared from the outside.

* * *

"Yuppers, I know it doesn't look like much, but it works for us, especially since we live in the mountains."

I caught myself looking about in total amazement at the place all around me as Starmon spoke. The mountains that made up the buildings within the Starmon's domes towered over us as we traveled upon a moving sidewalk within one of the countless tubes. The technology these Digimon possessed were nothing short of astounding, I learned, and judging by Koichi's expression, he just figured that out as well. Comparing it to most of the Digimon settlements we'd encountered on the Digital World, this one surpassed them without a single dispute.

As soon as we first arrived, the Starmon had rushed into business, taking the unconscious Warriors out on levitating stretchers and rushing them off before any protests could be made. I knew that the Starmon were sure in their actions, but between the conflicting feelings of the situation that were shared identically between Koichi and me, there was a lot of insecurity as our friends were taken from us, far from our grasps, to a place we knew not of.

"I wouldn't say that this isn't much," Koichi gasped from beside me, his eyes wide. I figured that mine were probably exactly how his were at this particular moment.

"Oh, you should see our friends on the red moon! Now, _they're_ livin' in high-class style! I hear over there they have some of those fancy toaster oven-thingers!" Starmon responded with a snort before changing the subject, his gaze averting from us to the mountain that we were quickly approaching. "Now let's go check up on your friends to make sure they're getting fixed up _right_!"

The place that this particular tube came to ended up being an infirmary of some sort. Scattered about were strange tank-like units shaped slightly like the machine one would go in if they were to have an MRI or a CAT scan. Monitors and equipment were all about, screens and buttons lighting up and making noises that could only be interpreted by the Starmon tending to the Warriors contained in these peculiar units. The level of technology that these Digimon claimed to have was suddenly rousing more skepticism than comfort.

Instantly Koichi walked over to the unit that Koji was contained in, his hand reaching out to touch the glass that separated them, but stopping before his fingertips touched the surface. "Are you sure they're going to be all right?" he questioned quietly, his deep eyes like churning waves as they stayed poised on his brother, almost like he was afraid if he moved his gaze for a single moment, he'd suddenly be there no longer.

"Our scientists are very good; your friends are in the very best of hands," Starmon responded without a hint of hesitation. "They'll be recovered in no time."

Koichi and I exchanged glances, mine glummer than his. But I felt that if I was overly-negative, I'd heed him more than help him. In that quick, split-second exchange, I saw the distress sewn into his irises. Seeing his twin like this was completely destroying him inside, and I felt I should've done something so that he wouldn't feel like that any longer. So, hesitation-ridden, I slowly brought up one hand and touched his arm. Instantly the notion that merely doing that wasn't going to be enough so I choked out, "I'm sure he'll wake up soon—they'll all wake up soon. If they have enough technology for all of this stuff, then how hard can it be to treat five humans?"

He made a face that showed he wasn't sure where I was going with this.

I felt my face grow slightly pink at the realization that I had no real point behind my words and tried to correct myself, "Uh, I mean…!" I paused to try to collect my bearings. "It's okay to be worried about them, but don't let it control you, all right? I'm sure the Starmon will do everything they can. And knowing these guys—" I let loose a small grin of weak confidence. "—they won't go down that easily, 'cause not only have they been through much tougher obstacles and are extremely stubborn, they know they can't leave the ones they love."

A silence took over as he examined my expression for truth. But then he looked down, realizing I had been tucking Koji's bandana into his grasp in the midst of my talking. He looked back up to my face and gave the smallest of smiles; I could feel the bandana slide the rest of the way out of my fingers as he took it. "Thanks, Mirai."

"Oh, the commander is calling! Better get you over to the bridge!" Starmon gestured us over to this large, automatic door, and when we approached, it slid open, revealing a large room with large screens and equipment lining the walls. In the very center of the room was a large telescope, giving me the impression that this was an observatory rather than a bridge.

As we walked towards the telescope, a Digimon a lot like Starmon pulled away from the eyepiece and jumped over to us. The resemblance between him and the other star-shaped Digimon here was uncanny. He wore shades and his outfit bore golden stars and fringes on the sleeves. _He's not gonna talk like—_"Shake it, don't break it, kiddies. SuperStarmon at your service, baby! Uh-huh-huh!"—_oh crap, he is._ "Why, thank you, thank you very much." _Holy crap, it's literally ELVIS! _"Well, listen people, I gotta favor to ask."

"Oh? What is that?" Bokomon questioned, giving a confound expression to the reincarnation of The King.

"Oh, you see the DigiWorld, it's deteriorating, baby. A little more every day. And get a look at that, man!" He turned back around and pointed at the opening of the observatory roof where the telescope was directed and the Digital World was able to be seen quite clearly. Just as he pointed, a little portion of land that slightly resembled the shape of Italy glowed and disappeared, yet another area scanned by those Royal Knights. "Now that's where ya'll came from, am I right, babies?" he continued, turning to face us once again. "Any idea what's happenin' down there?"

I frowned as Koichi answered him, "Yeah, the Royal Knights are to blame. They're scanning all the Fractal Code of the Digital World in order to revive Lucemon."

"They're doin' _what_?!" SuperStarmon repeated, his alarmed tone setting off all of the Starmon that were once peacefully working and sending them into a chattery panic. "What about our sweet little corner of the Digital World?! It'll be eaten faster than fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches if you don't do anythin', I'm telling ya, baby!" His words only further tensed the mood of his crew; as the commander, every emotion he decided to display affected the entire team.

_And if they're not on their toes, that may affect their focus and how much time they take to cure the others…_ I furrowed my brows at this and took a single step forward. I could feel the tightness of the air that came with confronting someone of such a high rank. "Mr. SuperStarmon sir, I promise you we'll get the fragments Digital World back that have been scanned and defeat the Royal Knights—and even Lucemon if we have to. It's Digimon like you that remind us why we haven't gone home—your kindness and hospitality is unmatched, and for you guys or any other innocent Digimon to suffer because of some corrupt tyrant is just wrong, and it'd be even more wrong if we just stood by and let it all happen. We're the Legendary Warriors; it's our duty protect this world and everyone in it. And that includes you guys here on the moons."

I gave a small smile as I peered back at Koichi, whose eyes were aglow in ambitious agreement. His gaze helped me gain the nerve to continue, "I don't care if we're not from this world; we've connected with Digimon so much that inside we've become Digimon as well, and that's a bond we'll always carry with us. In a way, we're all family, and one thing I've learned in this world about family is that you never give up on one another because there's so much more than blood that connects you…"

As I trailed off, figuring I was done, I looked down to see Bokomon practically sobbing from my little Takuya-like speech-thing. "It's so beautiful to hear those words come from you; you, out of all of the Legendary Warriors, speak of the significance of family. Now I can truly see the hope that remains for this world—" And from there, his words began to blob together and become illegible. Apparently this was a big deal for him or something.

My face contorted into a confused expression, especially because of Bokomon having an emotional moment, Patamon beginning to have one just because his PapaMom was having one, and Neemon trying to make it all better with this rhyme-song-thing that somehow managed to have both words and no words at all. "Uh…alright…" I felt my eyebrow bend and my opposite eyelid twitch, and that made me decide it was a good idea to leave. "Okay, Koichi, let's go back this way." And pretty much just pulled him back into the infirmary.

I let out a sigh as soon as the door slid shut just behind us, feeling grateful that no one decided to follow us. But before I could voice my relief, Koichi had already walked over to Koji, pulled almost like a magnet. I unsurely followed him, and when I saw the look on his face and how he was fingering his brother's bandana, I once again tried the whole comfort-thing, "Don't worry, Koichi. Koji's the strongest person I know. It's only a matter of time."

He offered me a smile as he answered, "I know. I try not to worry about him, but when you've only just met and you just feel that need to know him so well that it'll feel like you've always known each other, I'm always afraid our time together will be cut short somehow." His smile turned back into a frown. His voice was a small mutter from there on out. "…If you haven't noticed, I'm not as strong and confident as he is. I let my fear rule me…"

Before I knew if this was the right move or not, I had put a hand on his shoulder. His expression was as confused as mine was in accordance with that last action of mine. But I decided to talk anyway, "Koji keeps all of his demons inside, always worrying for everyone. The reason he's so confident is because, despite all of his mental battles, he knows we have his back. He knows that we won't allow anything to break you two apart." I slid my hand down from his shoulder and turned my face to look at the boy before us in question. "He's so strong because there're so many people he fights for. His love makes him powerful. Sometimes I wonder how he does it, but then I see how he looks at you and I instantly know. He looks at you like a puzzle he is determined to figure out, yet so much more than that. Just by seeing that shine in his eyes, I can tell he's willing to fight for every moment.

"He wasn't always like that, though." Koichi peered over at me at the change in my tone. "When we first arrived here, he didn't have anyone he cared for. He was this distant boy that went into fights with nothing to fight for." _Granted, he wasn't as misguided as me…_ "He got into fights with Takuya on a regular basis. I can recall this one time—" The image of Koji pinning Takuya against the wall flickered in my mind. "—where they almost made enemies out of each other…" Their words echoed within my head as they argued of who was the Warrior that was the most blind. "…He learned to be how he is. As soon as you came along, though, he made this huge change. I've never seen him with so much drive. I think part of it is a fear just like yours. He's afraid of losing you…"

He didn't speak a moment, taking in everything I said while studying Koji's form as if for confirmation. It was then I realized the youngest twin's hair wasn't in a ponytail; I couldn't recall a time when I saw his hair down. But before I could ponder the subject, Koichi began to speak, "There's just so much I don't know about him. He always asks me to tell him about me and Mom; I hardly ever get to hear about him and his life. Like…" His eyes flickered over to me. "…what are you to him?"

I felt my face grow a distinct red and my eyes shot about. "Eh…hehe…" I scratched my cheek with one finger as I laughed awkwardly. "Uh, well…what have you heard?" Instantly my mind went back to Zoe and her fangirlisms, immediately followed by IceDevimon and his whole lovers-murder-thing. If Koichi didn't totally get it with just a few instances, he was pretty damn close. "…Eh…Never mind. It's…probably how you think it is." In the midst of my shifty eyes, I noticed a cart that held all of the unconscious Warriors' possessions.

Walking over to it, I looked at the spread of stuff. Takuya, Koji, and Zoe's jackets; everyone's D-Tectors; Takuya and Tommy's hats; Takuya's goggles; Koji's little hair band; and a big pile of chocolate bars that I could easy deduct was JP's. I picked up the goggles and turned them around in my hands, remembering all of the memories behind them. I caught my reflection in one of the lenses, but inside I saw someone so much younger. I chortled slightly at the remembrance of what Takuya had said when he'd first shown them to me, _"No, it makes me look like a man!"_ and slipped them on over my eyes as I had that very same day, but no comments of going skiing this time.

"For how long?"

I almost jumped at Koichi's question, having nearly forgotten he was there. It took me a moment to gather an answer up, "Uh…I really don't know. I don't even have any idea how long we've been in this world. But when you're fighting for your lives, you kinda have bond faster than what's normal. You're being thrust into a situation where if you don't team up, you're screwed. At first we just sort of leaned on each other for support. I'm not sure… when it changed." I knew he could hear my feelings of awkwardness in my voice. Despite how comfortable I was around this boy, it didn't remove the fact that he was asking about what Koji and I were, and that wasn't exactly the easiest topic for me to talk about. But if it was a fact of Koji's life, it still must've held importance to him. "We didn't know each other before we came here—" _Yet I still know more about Koji than his own brother does…_

When I turned and saw Koichi's analytic expression, I immediately deemed it necessary to add, "But I can tell you what I know about him if you want. Just let me know." I gave him a smile, which he didn't hesitate to return.

"Thanks."

I could see his worry still lingering in the creases in his face, but the number of those lines was much fewer than before. It filled me with a sense of slight self-worth that I had at least managed to at least make him feel a little better. After all, I was partly to blame for all of this happening, so being able to at least do _something_ right was a little enlightening. And his gratitude made me see that maybe things weren't quite as bad as they appeared.

*Clunk!*

"Owww…"

We snapped into attention at that strange clunking sound and that distinct whine that I easily recognized. I went over to the tank that Takuya was contained within and saw the brunette rubbing his forehead with his face all scrunched up in irritation. Clearly the glass that kept him inside was pretty clean.

As soon as he noticed me peering down at him, he began to knock on the glass. "Hey, c'mon, I feel like I'm in a fish tank! How do you open this thing?" A Starmon rushed over and clicked a button on the machine, causing the glass to slide away. This apparently was a cue for Takuya to do over-exaggerated gasping for breath that only caused me to give him an incredulous expression that revealed only minute amusement of his antics. "Oi, what happened?"

He slid off the machine and retrieved his hat and jacket as I responded, ignoring the look he gave me when he realized I had his goggles, "The Royal Knights' attack left you guys in a pretty bad way. The Starmon are the ones that need the thanks; they offered us their help and tended to you guys." My eyes flickered over to the door that separated the infirmary from the bridge. "SuperStarmon—aka the Digimon version of Elvis Presley. No joke.—is the commander of this base. He's the one that calls all the shots here and showed us so much hospitality."

Flexing his arms and receiving a few cracks of their awakening, he eyed me with bright brown eyes that were distracted with sudden jerks off to the other machines. "Show me the way. I wanna give him my thanks."

I smiled in compliance and led him to the bridge where Koichi and I had been mere minutes prior. Relatively nothing had changed, aside from Neemon and Patamon now bickering over which one of them got to look through the telescope first, but that really shouldn't have been much of a surprise. SuperStarmon was checking up on one of the monitors a Starmon was working at, a few words being muttered between them, but both ceasing as I brought Takuya up to the commander.

I flicked two fingers towards the brunette beside me and with a slight smile, I began my attempt to show distinct courtesy, "Uh, Mr. SuperStarmon sir, I'd like to introduce our team's leader and Inheritor of the Spirits of Flame, Takuya Kanbara." I noticed that my words had caused the aforementioned boy to turn slightly red-cheeked; probably the whole leader-thing being blurted out so bluntly. "He wishes to speak to you for a moment…if you're not busy or anything."

"No problem here, kiddies, uh-huh-huh," he responded in his Elvis-like tongue. He didn't seem to pay any mind to the hardly-disguised sideways glance Takuya gave me at hearing his voice. "It's a genuine honor, it is. Warrior of Flame, you say? That's a real hot one, baby."

Takuya chortled awkwardly, the blush not even trying to fade from his cheeks. "Haha, it's nothing…I guess." That half-assed look he sent me signaled he didn't really know how else he was supposed to even respond. "Anyway, I just came here to thank you on behalf of our entire group. It's reassuring to see that there are still Digimon here that haven't fallen to evil; it means we still have lives to fight for. And with every life, there's a little more hope." The corners of his mouth curved upward slightly and his eyes burned brightly.

"Don't mention it, uh-huh-huh. You're the real heroes here, so to that I say—" SuperStarmon struck a pose and said his famous lines in my presence for the second time. "—why thank you, thank you very much."

"Uh…" Takuya only turned and looked to me, his mouth and eyebrows contorted in a deranged manner, and I was pretty sure that our expressions matched at this point. This is where things got weird, so he decided the best approach would be to change the subject entirely. His eyes averted from the Elvis-impersonating Digimon down to the screen that the commander had been looking at before our arrival. "So whatchya looking at?" His eyes suddenly widened in seeing what the screen was displaying. "Hey, I know that poster! Miri, look!"

I complied and approached the monitor. Sure enough, the poster that was showing would've been recognizable to just about anyone from the human world, since it actually _was_ an image of a billboard near the Shibuya 109 building right near the station. Or at least it had been a couple years ago. "Whoa, that's really weird. Does that mean you get old signals from our world? This one has gotta be from a few years ago since it's long been replaced."

Instead of SuperStarmon, it was the Starmon overlooking that replied, "We've only recently been able to get feed from other worlds. We can never tell how old it is. So you say this is from a few years ago, uh-huh-huh?"

"Yeah." Takuya grinned, not once removing his gaze from the image. "It's an advertisement for a movie. And a great movie at that!" It was about now he started getting very excited. "It's called Yu-Gi-Oh Bonds Beyond Time, and it's about these the three protagonists—" He pointed to the three characters on screen one by one. "—from the first three series; there's actually four series, but the fourth one doesn't hold a candle to the others, but anyway, there's this evil guy—"

I cut him off, my voice flat, "Are you really gonna walk them through the entire movie? Do you know how long that would take to explain all that?" I crossed my arms and tried to look as scrutinizing as possible. It wasn't a horrible movie, but it'd take him forever to explain, especially if he decided to add his typical I'm-really-getting-into-the-story sound effects.

He was beginning to give me a pathetic, little pouty face when he suddenly smirked and turned his hat slightly crooked. "That gives me an idea, Miri!" And apparently now was a great time to remember how Jaden raps in the Abridged version, and _apparently_ that was a great cue to start singing:

"Yeah, all right! Let's crank this up! I-I-I-I-If ya try to duel me, it's gonna make me stronger! I need you to play a card now, 'cause I can't wait much longer. My deck's like totally gonna beatchya! You may think you're harder, but just wait for when I make my next move, when Winged Kuriboh's comin' atchya!

"Getchya game on...

"Getchya game on!

"Yo, listen up, home boy, let me be the tutor, I'm about to tell ya all about how we saved the future! It started with Jaden Yuki hangin' out in Venice, last thing I knew, Crowler had me playin' tennis! And this guy rolls up on his motorcycle. He's got a freaky-ass mask like that Myers named Michael. He's trying to kill me, man, for all he's worth, shouting all this weird crap about saving the Earth! And then he revs up his bike like he's got this need for speed; it's a good thing I've played all that Assassin's Creed. But then the sky turned black, out comes this huge dragon, the thing five times the size of a station wagon! It's in hot pursuit, shootin' fire balls, got me jumping the roofs and got me climbing the walls. I tried to escape but at the very last minute, I whipped out my duel disk and I push it to the limit, sayin'—

"I-I-I-I-If ya try to duel me, it's gonna make me stronger! I need you to play a card now, 'cause I can't wait much longer. My deck's like totally gonna beatchya! You may think you're harder, but just wait for when I make my next move, when Winged Kuriboh's comin' atchya!

"Getchya game on...

"Getchya game on!

"Well, as it turns out now I'm not the first sucker who's has a run-in with this spazz mother—er. But now we've gotta skip a hundred years or three, 'cause this story ain't told chronologically! But hey, don't get confused, understanding's a breeze. This section takes place in the world of 5D's! Yusei and his friends are just driving around, when guess who shows up with an evil sound?

"He snags Yusei's dragon... Then he takes off, braggin'. Yusei's tattoo glows; it somehow knows how to travel through time, and I can hear you whine. But don't you fret because it's about to get—All the better, faster, stronger…!

"I-I-I-I-If ya try to duel me, it's gonna make me stronger! I need you to play a card now, 'cause I can't wait much longer. My deck's like totally gonna beatchya! You may think you're harder, but just wait for when I make my next move, when Winged Kuriboh's comin' atchya!

"So getchya game on...!

"Throwin' down a face down!

"So getchya game on!

"C'mon!

"Getchya game on!

"So then Yusei and me, we go back into the past! Man, this time travel gig's one hell of a blast! But hey, this ain't Kansas, we ain't Dorothy and Toto, when all of the sudden, here comes Yugi Moto. We team up together, one unstoppable force! We're gonna challenge Paradox and we'll win of course! We take the guy down and we save our show! Ain't nobody gonna mess with Yu-Gi-Oh! Yeah!

"I-I-I-I-If ya try to duel me, it's gonna make me stronger! I need you to play a card now, 'cause I can't wait much longer. My deck's like totally gonna beatchya! You may think you're harder, but just wait for when I make my next move, when Winged Kuriboh's comin' atchya!

"So getchya game on...

"Where the hell are my Cheetos?

"So getchya game on!

"Getchya game on..."

After all of that, which not only took way too freaking long but also surprised the hell outta me that he knew that entire song (although I had to admit it was catchy), I mustered up one hell of a confound expression and retorted, "Well, _someone's _clearly feeling better. Just one thing, though, Taky." _Ya know, now that I think about it, Taky kinda sounds like the lead singer of that one band…what was its name… Teenage Wolves or somethin'…? Naw, I'd be insulting—I think his name was Matt or something. Yeah. Definitely insulting him._

He gave me a confused expression in response. "Yeah, what?"

I bopped him on the head and stated, "Don't do that ever again."

* * *

"Wait, wait, _wait_! So we're on the _moon_?! Like the _moon_-moon? That big hunk of rock in the sky?! The thing people think is made outta cheese?! We were blasted all the way to _the moon?_!"

"Taky, shut up!"

"What?! I'm just getting my facts straight!"

_No, you're just trying to be annoying. _I groaned and shook my head, trying to make the hunks of stupid that flew in my ears back out. When Taky decided to pretend to be that moronic, it just made my brain hurt. And while it irritated me to no end in instances like this, it did cause a few Warriors—who had awoken just a little while later than Takuya—to laugh. And I could only narrow my eyes as he gave me a little smirk with an accompanying snicker. _Blockhead._

"But it really is quite unbelievable!" Zoe piped up smartly, removing the current mood that was going between Takuya and I, because if it hadn't changed, eventually it probably would've ended up him making fun of me and me trying to kick his ass for it. It's a rather organized, predictable system. "To think one attack got us all the way up here and we're all here in one piece." She looked out the window briefly, seeing the wasteland that stretched on and on beyond it.

Pouting by the window, JP muttered, "What's really unbelievable is that it's really not made of cheese…"

As a few others agreed with Zoe's statement, pretty much overlooking JP's, I watched as Takuya walked over to Tommy snickering—already from that alone I assumed that he had something dumb in mind—and he muttered just loud enough that my ears caught his words, "Hey, Tommy, watch this. I'm gonna—" And then his voice dropped to a level I couldn't pick up, followed soon after with the laughter of the Warrior of Ice. I couldn't put my finger on just what the hell he was up to until he did it.

He walked up to window, pressed his face up against it as if he was five or something, and curving his lips, blew against the glass to make this very low, obnoxious, bassoon-like sound.

As Tommy burst out laughing, everyone else just gave Takuya a stupefied expression because no one knew exactly what the hell he was doing, and I didn't hesitate for a second to facepalm. "Taky, what the hell was—?! Ugh, never mind. Did the Starmon drug you up or is the lack of oxygen frying your brain?" I felt a vein in my forehead pulsating so hard I thought it was going to explode at any given moment.

Looking more than pleased, he answered, not really giving an answer to my question, "You know you wanna try it, Miri. Oh wait, you've done that before. Remember that one day when you came over and we spent an entire afternoon at the window just—"

I cut him off, my face beginning to grow a distinct shade of red. I remembered _exactly_ what day he was talking about; Mrs. Kanbara threw a fit that we got the window so dirty with hand and face prints. I whined, almost tempted to pout, "Shut up!"

WHACK!

"Now, now children. Fight nicely please," Bokomon interjected as more of a way to get our attention than anything else. Once he had our attention, which really didn't take long knowing that he was acting like he was trying to be our parent figure or something, he decided that his plan had worked and changed the subject entirely. He cleared his throat and began, "Now is a good time to find a way to get back to the Digital World! You're all back to full strength, so we must return and save it from Lucemon immediately!"

My eyes shifted over to Koji as he began to speak, his expression stern and his voice matching to a T, "So how are we gonna do that?" He crossed his arms over his chest and took a second to look at everyone as if questioning if _anyone_ had the slightest idea about what to do. We just all sort of looked back at him, which only caused a weird silence to ensue as we just stood there staring at each other. We were a productive little posse.

After a good four minutes of staring at each other in complete and utter silence, Takuya got his hero complex on and started his little optimistic pep talk-thingy that he was so good at, pumping a clenched fist and getting his game face on, "C'mon guys! We can come up with something! There's gotta be a way back!"

I narrowed my eyes, muttering, "Oh God, not another one of your plans…"

"Okay, guys! Time for another one of my plans!"

Another groan escaped my mouth without fail. _It's as if he doesn't even listen to me…_ The truth in my thought really shouldn't have surprised me one bit, but there remained in me that little, itty bitty ounce of confidence that managed to survive abuse over the past several years that somehow _still_ believed maybe he'd turn an ear over to me once in a while and _not_ blurt out every single one of his dumb suggestions. Yeah, that ounce needed to be exterminated quickly and painlessly.

And despite my discouragement that he came up with another "genius master plan", Tommy, who seemed oh-so supportive of the brunette today, grinned real wide in pride that his adopted older brother was taking charge. "Lead the way, Takuya! What do we do?"

Takuya, who was growing a bigger and bigger head from all of this support and admiration, folded his arms across his chest with a huff and mirrored the Warrior of Ice's smirk. "We head outside and Spirit Evolve! I'll explain as soon as it works!" _Aka, you'll probably never get to explain…_

So out we all went, only Takuya knowing exactly what was going on. And after getting a good distance from SuperStarmon's base, we all took to Spirit Evolving. All but Koji, JP, and I went to our Human Spirits, while Koji and JP went to Beast and I to Polymerization. It took almost no time after the last Warrior had Evolved for Agunimon to call out like we were charging out into battle against some of those space rocks in the distance, "Okay, guys! Give it all ya got! _Attack_!"

"Shadow Meteor!"

"Bolo Thunder!"

"Tempest Twist!"

"Manifold Continuum!"

"Blizzard Blaster!"

"Lupine Laser!"

"And last, but _certainly _not least!" _Someone's cocky today. _"Pyro Punch!"

All of the attacks shot off full-force, but as there was no enemy to really attack, they eventually lost power and died out. The exact reasoning of this still unclear, the confusion made us again sink into a stupefied silence and give one certain Warrior of Flame the opportunity to be on the receiving end of a range of unimpressed looks. Situations like these were the basis of my skepticism of the effectiveness of his precisely-strategized plans.

"That oughta take care of…whatever we were shooting at," MetalKabuterimon noted in a rather unimpressed tone. Not that I blamed him, though.

KendoGarurumon continued where his fellow Beast left off, sounding pretty irritated at Agunimon for wasting both time and energy at shooting at the air, "What exactly _were_ we shooting at anyway?" _Oh good. Now he'll get to _explain_ his logic…_

"Well, nothing specific. We were just firing that way!" Agunimon's attempt to lighten the mood (hence his optimistic, don't-be-mad-at-me-tone) basically fell flat on its face. All it earned him was a few more narrowed eyes staring at him. Not exactly my definition of a prize.

"Now I'm confused_ and_ annoyed!" At this point, it seemed like KendoGarurumon was pretty close to just turning around and leaving right then and there. I would've too if I didn't possess a distinct curiosity of what this Warrior of Flame had concocted in his brain that somehow managed to make sense to him. Something about that level of stupidity he just displayed made me want to hear his special sort of reasoning, but at the same time, I felt like if I heard it, I'd also regret it.

Pressing his finger to the side of his head as if to say "this is what I used to make this idea!", Agunimon tried to smirk, but we weren't impressed. "See, I had this idea that maybe we could move the moon!" Silence. "You know, we could use the force of our attacks to nudge it closer to the Digital World!" While our looks only grew even more annoyed, he began to laugh away that death threat on his shoulders. "Well, at least we gave it our best shot!"

"Your stupidity makes my brain hurt…" I muttered, shaking my head, fed up with his dumb ideas. I pressed my forehead, trying to keep a headache from developing because I was pretty sure one was beginning to come. "Why the hell did you think for a _second _that would work?"

Hearing me speak must've renewed something in his head and he instantly snapped out of his hysterical laughing. "Hey, wait! You can get us back!" In a split-second he was standing in front of me, pleased that he was redeeming himself.

But I wasn't convinced quite yet. My flat tone made it evident as I crossed my arms and gave him an incredulous expression. Well, at least even more incredulous than moments before. It was getting difficult to make an expression even more skeptical than the last, but "his barrage of intelligence" was making it necessary to actually possess these sorts of facial curvatures that seemed rather unnatural. "And how do you propose I do that, smart guy?"

I had never seen anyone this glad that he was asked to elaborate. "One of your Elements is Space, so this is your specialty!"

WHACK!

"I can't move the moon, you imbecile!" I facepalmed as a handprint was forming on his face for the second time that day, and I let out an exasperated exhale. Clearly something on the moon was screwing up his brain. What that thing was, I didn't want to know.

Kazemon instantly grasped my hand and began to pull me away. "C'mon you guys, let's go so that Mirai doesn't knock any more marbles out of Takuya's head. He needs all the marbles he can spare." Even the ever-understanding Warrior of Wind was growing annoyed with the stupidity floating around.

As we all began to walk away, it was then that Agunimon noticed we were leaving him behind. He instantly stopped his overly-enthusiastic laughing and whined, "Hey, that's not cool, guys! Give a poor 'mon a break here! At least wait up!" He ran after us and as soon as he caught up I realized he had a distinct pout on his face. That's right.

Agunimon.

Esteemed, all-powerful Warrior of Flame.

_Pouting._

That was a clear sign of a great fighter right there. I was tempted to facepalm again, but decided it just wasn't worth the effort. I was beginning to deduct that he had hit his noggin when we got here and it knocked a few things loose. I was just gonna hold onto that little strand of hope that it was gonna eventually fix itself. Whether or not it actually was, there was no way of telling, but usually Takuya had some pretty good luck with those sorts of things.

I turned towards him and gave him a look consisting of narrowed eyes (which was rather demeaning since I was in Spirit form and my eyes couldn't be seen anyway) and a corner of my mouth pulled up as if my lip had been hooked by an inexperienced fisherman. "Taky, was your transformation into a five-year-old sporadic or was it a learning process?"

He was about to answer, hence his mouth opening to object to my claim and raising his index finger, but it was of common consensus—a silent, let's-leave-Agunimon-outta-the-loop consensus—of the rest of us Warriors to just let him wallow in his little nincompoopery party, so we just decided that it was the best idea to go off and do our own thing regarding how to get back to the Digital World—after all, after _that_ display of the Warrior of Flame's intelligence, we weren't so prepared to hear _more_ of his bright ideas. Thus within silent agreement, we all just split up, again leaving Agunimon baffled as to why we keep leaving him behind. About then, I was seriously considering permanent brain damage.

Regardless, I decided to go with Kumamon in his little brainstorming expedition. I wasn't completely certain why I decided to go along with the little Ice bear, but within a few minutes, I found myself watching in slight interest as he quite literally tried to run and _jump_ back to the Digital World. He added some dialogue in there too, as if that would help in his mission.

He began running. Hop. "Up!" Hop. "Up!" And lunged. "And _awaaaay_~!"

And basically took a digger into the ground.

Trying not to let his honest attempts amuse me _too_ much, I plopped myself down on a space rock and sighed, watching over the Warrior of Ice as if I was a mother—not that I actually possessed any of the required maternal instincts—watching her child act like a hyperactive nutcase in the middle of a public park. I admired his persistence as he made attempt after attempt, but all of his little plans only kept reminding me of Takuya and all of his harebrained shenanigans. After all, Tommy _did_ watch the older brunette closely, I noted, and practically treated every word from his mouth like the wise words of an old, Digimon elder or something. Just how much stock he took in the gogglehead's words was evident right before my eyes…

…As he tried to pole-vault his way back.

I let myself laugh lightly at this, mentally admitting that he was actually pretty creative. It was then I noticed that his little show had caught the attention of some Gotsumon—except these ones seemed a little different than the one we had met previously—and also some Burgermon, who had actually set up a burger stand and was selling concessions to all of the spectators. This led the rest of the Warriors to come and see what all of the commotion was about and a couple of them just sat down with me to watch.

KendoGarurumon, however, went to the fallen Warrior of Ice and started chatting with him. I couldn't make out the exact words, but it seemed like he was gonna show the little bear how it was done. He looked over with his bright yellow eyes to an incline of rock that Kumamon had previously used to run up, unfolded the golden-colored blades on his back, and activated his (training) wheels. With great velocity, he shot up the incline as if it were a ramp and disappeared far into the distance. We all rose up in confound expectation, holding our breaths to see if he'd actually made it.

In a single instant, I felt my body go into a state of panic. I witnessed sparks shoot about from where he disappeared and a strange stream of electric blue energy materialize. Energy flashed and scintillated about with wild ferocity in sync with my out of control heartbeat. I couldn't shake that one all-encompassing thought, _He's in trouble; we need to help him! We have to get up there to him somehow!_

That exact moment that he fell from high above was the moment that I lost all sense of control. "Koji!" As I began to run, I gained this vague sense that the other Warriors were mirroring each movement I made and were close by my side, yet at the same time I felt I was isolated within a glass case of separation. I received this sense of a single tunnel, an empty corridor that led only one direction, and only the sound of my footfalls were of any sort of accompaniment. It returned me to a time not so distant where this scenario might have been a true case, but then tried to shake it off, unwilling to be haunted any longer by my demons. I couldn't forget the one who I was running for—the one that had shattered all of my demons in the first place.

As soon as I came into view, I picked up my pace, despite my breathlessness. I came to him as he struggled back up to his feet, the rest of the Warriors stopping at each of my sides. "Koji, what happened? Are you all right?" I could feel my lip trembling in my trepidation, and if I glanced down, I was certain I would've seen that my hands were in the same state. It surprised me to no end that my voice had come out as secure as it had, as there was nothing stopping it from escaping from my mouth raw and broken into stuttering pieces.

The frustration was evident in his irises as he lamented upon my face for a moment before turning his head upwards to the sky from where he'd fallen. His tone emphasized even further his aggravation at his own personal failure. "Yeah, I'm fine. There's something up there that kept me from passing—like a barrier of some kind. It's like an electric fence. It drained me of my energy and I could barely keep myself from De-Spirit Evolving."

Agunimon crossed his arms and his eyes trained upward to the place where KendoGarurumon currently looking, appearing in a way skeptical. "Wonder what it is. And how we get past it." With those words, I knew he had put his hero complex on; whatever part of his personality that he had on before that was all fun and games had been replaced by the person that took over when it came to the dire circumstances of the Digital World.

"Well, I'd say you hit the digital stream."

"Yup, it's the stream."

We all turned at the sounds of unfamiliar voices and several of the Gotsumon had been speaking to us. The latter of the sounded overly-passive, like he knew of its existence, its force, and the danger it presented if one tried to cross. Before I knew what had gotten me riled up, I was practically down in his face, demanding, "Hey! If you knew it was there, then why the hell didn't you say anything?! Koji could've gotten really hurt, and you would've just sat by and let it happen?! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

I felt a slight touch to my arm, and only for a second did my glance turn back to meet the composed, serene face of Kazemon. I opened my mouth in objection, but a part of me knew that she was right for stopping me. She didn't have to say a word for me to realize she was the one on the side of right here, and for such, I knew her to be the all-supreme peacekeeper in our posse. And because of this, not only did I make my anger dissipate, I was almost attempted to even _apologize_ to this guy.

My pride wouldn't let me, so I just pursed my lips and fell completely silent. A frown was present, but I allowed myself to wallow in it without creating a problem.

Not letting an awkward moment go by (possibly for the first time ever in all of the time that I've known him to be a bumbling idiot), the Warrior of Flame decided to get the conversation going again by going, "Sorry about our friend—she's in need of anger management." _Don't make me smack you, smartass. _"So what exactly is this digital stream?"

The first Gotsumon that had spoken, I could tell by his voice, decided to answer, "The digital stream is a river of energy in space that separates us from the Digital World. Its flow is changed by the pull of the moons and no one's ever crossed it." _Wait, that makes no sense. If we were there and now we're here, it's not like we hopped in a machine that teleported us here with the click of a button. Although we did get here battered, so maybe we indirectly hit it…_

Kazemon voiced my thoughts, but not in quite the same way. She had a better way with inquiries than I did and she could retain much more self-restraint. "But we must've crossed it; after all, we all got here in one piece, didn't we?"

Instead of one of the Gotsumon answering, it was Lӧwemon who found a response to her inquiry. "Yes and no. We must've by-passed it; the Starmon said we got here through a warp created from the Royal Knight's attack."

That instantly clicked in my mind and I briefly lamented on the information the Starmon had given us earlier. "Oh yeah, that's right." However it only took me half of a second to do a double-take within my thoughts and head back into that cynical state of mind. "But wait, they said that the warps created by spacial punctures reseal themselves; that means that the route that we took to get here is probably already closed up. So how are we supposed to get back?"

"Not in some normal way," Agunimon responded in a groan-like tone, dropping his head and looking as though he felt severely defeated. I really didn't doubt this possibility, because I couldn't scrounge up any positive thoughts at this time, either.

However, now apparently one Warrior of Wind deemed this a good time to invent Prayer Time with Kazemon, as she clasped her gloved hands together and facing the starry sky, chanted in a singsong tone, "Star light, star bright, get us off this rock tonight…?"

A long silence.

I coughed awkwardly. "…Touching."

The Burgermon who were once serving food to spectators of Kumamon's entertaining antics were now staring off at the Digital World with melancholy expressions. One of them thought aloud, which is what initially caught our attention, "Oh dear…I sure am worried…"

"I hope they're all right down there all by themselves…" one of the smaller Burgermon added, sounding equally distraught. Its look was identical to the ones all around it, and just all around them was this aura that seemed to make the air that much thinner and harder to take in. I couldn't explain that heavy feeling that suddenly formed. "If their homes have already been destroyed, I don't know what they're gonna do. Oh, I just really hope that they're still safe and sound…"

It was about time that the Warrior of Ice got his head away from those Takuya-like thoughts. He looked to all of the bun-hatted Digimon and questioned, "Hey, you guys must've crossed the stream, right?"

"Oh, why would we? The blue moon is where all Burgermon come from!" a taller one answered, giving us a great big smile. "Although some of our friends moved down there some time ago to start a new life back before the Digital World started being destroyed. But this is our true home right here!"

Kazemon returned the smile, but much more sweet and refined; I could imagine the green eyes of the human girl within shining like dew-dripped leaves. "Oh, I see. Then they must've been the Burgermon that we met down there at Hamburger Village. They were very kind and hospitable to us. Not to mention they made great burgers."

One of the littler Digimon again morphed its mood deep into negativity and pouted. "But the bad thing is we haven't heard from them in forever!"

"Don't worry," KendoGarurumon began assuredly, slipping into words that sounded more like they belonged to the Warrior of Flame, but still head distinct meaning, "Once we find a way back, we'll make sure they're safe from the Royal Knights. We're gonna save the Digital World, and everyone in it."

With a note of pessimism fresh in his voice, MetalKabuterimon added, "Yeah, as soon as we figure out what that way even is."

Apparently that was the last straw for Agunimon or at least that last little thread of patience snapped before he basically had panic attack; he looked pretty dang frustrated, especially when his face contorted in such a way that I thought that the veins in his face were going to explode from the pressure, he punched a rock (No, really. He punched that boulder so hard I thought he was gonna cry from hurting his hand), and pretty much wailed, "THERE'S GOTTA BE A WAY OUTTA HERE!"

I crossed my arms and with an unimpressed expression, retorted back flatly, "Yeah, and I'm sure punching rocks will do the trick."

Glazing over my sarcasm, KendoGarurumon scolded the Warrior of Flame for his antics that revealed he was just a second away from a breakdown and setting off to break all the rocks in the area, "Just calm down!"

Agunimon, his mood not easily deterred by the Warrior of Light's simple words, whipped around and in the wolf Warrior's face, screamed back, "HOW CAN I BE CALM AT A TIME LIKE THIS?!" He stomped about and in the midst of the beginning of his rampage, one of his eyelids began to twitch. Yeah, that probably wasn't a very good sign. He then spun back around to face KendoGarurumon, deciding that he wasn't finished yet. "IF YOU HAVE A GREAT PLAN, I'LL _GLADLY_ HEAR IT!"

About now I decided it was the most opportune time to step in. He was tugging on one too many strands of my patience. I turned to him, my face fierce, lifted my hand, and— "Hey, here's a great plan for you!"

WHACK! WHACK!

With Agunimon temporary controlled and down for the count, Kazemon took the time to put her hand ponderously up to her chin and speak up on a thought she seemed to have been tossing around, "Hang on a second. No matter if you came up here or your friends went down there, a way of transportation still would've been needed. How did your friends get down there in the first place?"

The smallest Burgermon grinned and said cheerfully, as if the answer was obvious, "Simple! They built a rocket!"

"That's the ticket!" Instantly MetalKabuterimon had a little epiphany, and wheeled off. He didn't get far, but he seemed to be scratching something into the ground. When the rest of us decided to follow and saw that what he was doing was writing out strange mathematical formulas that were way over my head (causing a vast majority of us to stare in complete obfuscation), we also heard him muttering, "Okay, let's see…times the square root of pi, divide by five, carry the two…"

Lӧwemon threw his hands on his hips and his eyes contorted. "Where did you get those equations?" _Good question._

"If I remember correctly, I saw them in a book once!" As MetalKabuterimon looked down at the Warrior of Darkness and had this look in his eyes that showed that he was dead serious, he gave me the distinct urge to huff in exasperation.

"_That's_ reassuring." He raised up a single hand and had this look in his crimson eyes that seemed to say, 'Don't bother trying to explain to me'.

But none the less, we allowed the Warrior of Thunder to return to his calculations, watching and listening to him mutter formulas and numbers as he scribbled down things I didn't even wanna begin to try to interpret because I knew for a fact that I wouldn't be able to. At one time I probably would've been able to say I was good at math—but that was back in first grade when most of the problems' answers didn't exceed ten. Once we got up into double digits was when all the problems began; I didn't have enough fingers to help me out.

So this is what really surprised me. I'd never known anyone that actually had a mathematical mind and could actually apply the theorems outside the classroom, so the possibility that JP could actually be a math whizz never occurred to me until now. But there were a lot of things I hadn't thought of regarding the Warriors until witnessing firsthand, whether by sight or their confession of it—the full extent of Takuya's hero complex, Koji's playing and composing of music, Zoe's retained touch with the real world by keeping track of the day of the week, Koichi's dislike of swearing (of which I mentally promised to work one for this reason; it wasn't working well), Tommy's actions that mimicked so much Takuya's…

I shook off all of these thoughts flooding me and smiled. I couldn't explain what I was feeling, this aloof, easy feeling. But all I knew was that whatever these Warriors were concocting—who were now discussing something that I wasn't paying attention to; something regarding the equations probably—I could trust them fully.

And as soon as I came back into the reality about me to take it in, apparently a plan was formed that required Agunimon to climb into the cannon that was atop MetalKabuterimon. The Warrior of Thunder aimed in a slow, precise manner, but Agunimon's nervousness was evident from his tone from within the cannon, "Hey…! Are you _sure_ this is gonna work? Right now I can think of about fifty different ways that this can end very painfully!"

MetalKabuterimon was very easy with his response, continuing to aim, "Of course it will; trust me! All right, here we go! Five…four…three...yeah, whatever, blast off!"

He shot out Agunimon, who while making a loud, obnoxious whoop went flying off almost out of sight. At first it seemed like he was gonna get some real distance, but then he came to an abrupt halt, tilted down with legs straight up in the air, and nose dived with flailing limbs—again being very loud and obnoxious, but this time for the exact opposite reason—straight into the ground. A distinct thud resonated on contact, a cloud of dust in tow.

I had one word. "Ouch…"

The dust settled. _I wonder if that fall caused any more brain damage…_ MetalKabuterimon seemed to not even have a thought remotely like mine, only turning back to his work and scribbling things out. "Hmm…well, maybe it was multiply the two and carry the pi! At first you don't succeed…" He changed a few things and then turned back over to the distance where the Warrior of Flame had crashed. "Hey, Agunimon! You ready to try again?"

If Agunimon wasn't annoyed before, he was now. I could see him jumping up and down and throwing his arms around from his place far off. I could just imagine his face. "NOOO! BUT I CAN'T BELIEVE I LET YOU TALK ME INTO IT THE _FIRST_ TIME, METAL HEAD!"

Laughing awkwardly, I responded to my own wondering aloud, "Yup, definite brain damage…"

"This day is just getting weirder and weirder..." Kazemon pressed her palm to the side of her face and sighed, taking to the air. "C'mon, guys. Let's go." She, along with most of the other Warriors, went off, evading MetalKabuterimon's next ideas.

He, however, didn't appreciate the low supply of guinea pigs and lack of support by the other Warriors. "Aww, guys, come back! It'll work this time! I'd let you guys shoot _me_ out of a cannon! What happened to the give-and-take of friendship, huh?"

I raised my hand and stepped forward, over-theatrical with my words. "I volunteer as tribute!"

He gave me a look.

"…Yeah, don't know where that came from." I scratched my cheek sheepishly and grinned. "But anyway, you got your cannon all recalibrated or whatever? 'Cause I'm ready to go!" _Holy crap, that was really out of character…maybe I hit my head from crash landing on the moon as well…_

His eyes grew wider at my request and the surprise was evident in his voice, "Are you serious? You really wanna try this?" When I gave a head-bob in compliance, I wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment or something else that he forced himself to look down at his numbers spilled out on the ground in front of him. But when he looked up, he seemed severely pleased. "All right, then! Get in and get ready, because you're gonna be flying!"

Whatever this energized feeling I had was, I liked it a lot. Something made me ever-so eager to totally risk my neck on a scheme that was almost as hair-brained as a good majority of the ideas Takuya had concocted that day, and I was looking forward to the experience. It drove me to pull out of my wary, secured box as I did before when finding the lack of gravity with Koichi. _After all_, as I told the ebony-haired boy before, _I'm kinda stupid, but not suicidal._

And with an all the more pleased smile intensifying in meaning, I hopped up and slid into the barrel. It was a lot larger inside than it appeared when looking from outside, enough room, I realized, to come up with a plan of my own. I summoned up a Fortified Continuum, enveloping myself in a protective orb. "Okay, I'm ready!" I called out, knowing just how this was gonna play out, being on the moon and all. "Fire away, MetalKabuterimon!"

He sounded just about as fired up as I was. "Awwwl right! Preparing for blastoff! Three, two, one! FIRE!"

With a loud bang, I felt myself being shot with the momentum of a bullet leaving a gun. I was having far too much fun to be scared, grinning so hard my jaw hurt and whooping just as Agunimon had initially, and got an empowering adrenaline rush. My force field held up well, even as it hit the ground a long ways off from my launching point, but I wasn't planted. No, my plan was working; instead of just crashing to the ground like one certain Flame Inheritor, the lack of gravity and the round shape of my Fortified Continuum made for nothing short of a bouncy ball gone absolutely wild.

Did I regret this?

Nope.

Not even for a second.

Excitement-filled laughter took control as I bounced all around, up and down, and to the left and right, and every direction imaginable. I never would've even conceived doing something like this prior to befriending the other Warriors; I'd deemed amusement park rides stupid long ago, but now here I was creating my own. And my only thought regarding it was of how jealous Takuya would be when he found out what I did instead of something productive.

But then of course things had to go a little wrong, as they always tended to do. In the midst of it all, I had stumbled across a high cliff that I didn't _quite_ have enough height to clear, so I found myself smacking into it head-on, bouncing back, hitting another random-yet-of-course-conveniently-placed rock, shooting back, and once again meeting the side of the cliff, but this time at such an angle that instead of being ricocheted back directly, I was sent in a hurling spin that got me so dizzy that lost hold on my force field and it basically popped, leaving me flying—and rotating faster than my stomach could take—and of course, just as Agunimon had before…

…planted face-first into the dirt.

"Oh God…"

After a substantial pause for the cause, I turned up my face, triggering countless grinds and cracks to come painfully from my neck, and stared upwards. I decided it was the best idea to repeat myself, "Oh God, oh God…" and groaned with the baritone of your classic blues singer. The sky was spinning around and around; well, either the sky or me, I really couldn't tell, and it didn't make much difference at current. A moan escaped my lips as I decided to let go of my Spirit Evolution, hoping that maybe it would help slow down whatever was spinning. As the Evolution disintegrated, I realized it did nothing for me.

I put my hand up to my head and ran my fingertips through my bangs, realizing then that I still had Takuya's goggles dangling around my neck. A smile lightly touched my face as in slow motion I slid them upwards over my eyes, encasing the world in a slightly bluish-gray tint. I found enough mental collection to stop my repetitive mutterings to muse to myself with slight hilarity, "Maybe _you're _the reason of my latest idiocy…"

"Who's that reason now?"

Un-Spirit Evolved but still as much of a Light Inheritor as he could be, Koji entered my field of vision almost immediately after his unmistakable voice caught my attention. While he peered down at me with the tenderest of smiles, his eyes shimmered in such a way to match the stars that glistened above his head. I felt my face instantly heat up, revealing a rosy color that had been under temporary hibernation until now, at his unmatched radiance and the warmth that just his mere glance exuded.

My eyes followed his every movement, trying to capture his grace within my memory. Just watching each smooth motion, my imagination illustrating every ripple of his muscles as they played their part, was enough to stir something deep within my chest bearing deep resemblance to gentle coals that glowed a light red growing and taking life into a dancing flame. Simply entrancing was his figure as my mind fabricated his relentless, sensual touch in its sweet, tender temperance, a picturesque image that I wished to reach out and hold in the vivacity that I could still recall and lament within.

I could feel myself returning a smile, but it didn't—it just _couldn't_—compare. No matter how I tried, I couldn't place a single finger on how that simple curvature of his lips could be so powerful, so captivating. It was as though he had a special enchantment written deep within that smile; one little hint of his serene, light beaming, and it could cast a spell of proportions I couldn't grasp. It could tie ribbons around my hands, binding me as prisoner and holding me captive against my will while ignoring every fiery protest I could possibly make, yet at the same time, I'd wish desperately to pull closer, part his lips with my own, and let this mystical spell take root and tie us together.

The dizziness that had once plagued me now was one of an entirely different sort, not one from which I wished escape. It was an intense, all-consuming spiral that seemed to fade everything else out of my vision, pulling Koji into the dead center and throwing every sort of illumination upon his enmity. He truly was the boy of Light, the one that transcended all other lights and hopes, the one for whom all of Time stopped, set gaze on, and cast away all else for. One grace of a glance could send all demons fleeing, shatter all broken dreams, and resurrect dead Future.

But then he stopped. His smile faded, replaced by a slightly vexed expression that was no less the flawlessness he possessed. "Are you all right?" His voice came out smooth and with flowing, perfected notes. The genuine caring was interwoven with the delicacy of a feather floating silently to the ground. But then— "You haven't said a word, and you've been staring at me for a good four minutes now."

Right then, it was as though a record came to a screeching stop.

"Uh…yeah," I sputtered, sheepishly grinning. The redness that took over my cheeks was nothing short of febrile. "I'm fine." An awkward chortle found its way up my windpipe and out my mouth before I could deny its access, and I continued to babble much like the idiot I was gradually learning to become. "I'm _totally _fine! I don't know why you'd think that I _wasn't_ fine, because I _sooo_ am!" As I came up into a sitting position and took into full account what I just said, mentally facepalmed. But since I didn't want to do the motion physically, I just sat there with a dumb look on my face.

He blinked a few times and raised his eyebrow at me. "Somehow I doubt that," he said with slight amusement, a small, sly grin beginning to form. "But your weirdness has its own substantial intrigue. It just goes to show the klutzy-girl stereotype isn't too far gone." He crossed his arms as he smiled at me, and I couldn't stop from wondering just what he was getting at.

I narrowed my eyes at him as if it'd help me analyze his hidden meaning, but of course, it did nothing of the sort. I too crossed my arms as I interrogated him with a growing amusement that found similarity to his. "What are you implying, Minamoto?" The urge to smile was too hard to take.

As if my words were an invitation to come sit with me, he did so, taking up the spot directly in front of me. I was pleased with his decision to do so; that way I could see his dazzling physique up close, and the way he smiled right then almost made me choke on my own breath. "I'm just saying your tough girl persona isn't enough to hide that distinct cute side of you."

My mouth dropped open slightly; if my face could've gotten any redder than it had become in that single instant, I wouldn't have believed it until I saw it. Or felt it. Yes, most definitely until I felt it; the blazing inferno overtaking my cheeks never felt quite as hot as they were then. _He thinks I'm…cute? _Despite all systems failing from just that one sentence that came so easily from his mouth, I found myself able to give a smug response; I wasn't sure how it happened, but it felt so simple. Maybe because it was _him_. "Oh really? You think my tough girl persona is just a cover?" My tongue wetted my lips in expectation. "Eat your words."

I sprung up and pounced on him.

We grappled light-heartedly, twisting all about as we competed to pin the other down. We laughed in synchrony while tumbling about in the dirt, his eyes and mine locked together in a gaze that I could see my own reflection within his crystalline irises. _That girl mirrored in his eyes—that happy, smiling, laughing girl…that's really me?_ The more I focused on his eyes, that translucent sea of immense sapphire, the more I saw myself. _The me that wouldn't exist without him…_

It didn't take long for this ebony-haired boy to pin me down. We stared at each other, me more out of breath than he, but just as pleasured. I could feel the warmth of his legs on either side of mine, pressed lightly against my narrow hips, and his hands on either side of my shoulders. In the midst of my light strains of breath, I revealed my contentment on my face, and admitted in a soft, haughty tone, "You got me. Now what, JiJi?"

One corner of his mouth tugged upwards in a charming manner as he took one hand and slid the goggles from over my eyes up past my forehead. "I think you can figure it out…"

So much more than a kiss was that moment of connection. Warm shivers twisted about every inch of my body, beginning at where his lips snuggly fit against mine and without an end in sight. His hand came to my cheek, his fingertips sliding across my skin with a touch with unmatched tenderness, and I grasped up at his collar, trying to pull him closer, feeling his warm skin so close to my grasp. His aura needed to be captured, held tight to me, so I could feel it all around me. More, more…

Each passing moment blurred together, woven with intricate detail and smooth edges. In the midst of our interlocked lips, we pulled our hands away from each other and joined them, filling the spaces between each of our fingers so that they would no longer be alone, so yet another piece of us would be connected, tied together with ribbon.

When our lips separated, our fingers were still intertwined. The thin air of the moon didn't allow us to remain together there, but it couldn't step in with a way to separate us completely. I watched Koji with shaken eyes, my breath trying to level itself, yet in the midst of my resetting, I suddenly came upon the realizing that I was _beaming_. I wasn't sure why the hell I was, but damn, some part of me must've been severely pleased with this latest development because no matter how hard I tried to wipe it off my face, it was there to stay. And to boot, I had to add a stupid, cocky statement into the mix, "Well, you were right. I _did_ figure it out."

At this he only gave me a partially-amused expression, but before he could say anything, I had received quite the high and found myself moving my hands, one to pull off his bandana, the other to pull out his hair tie that kept his hair in a ponytail. I began to laugh as he narrowed his eyes at me, his hair parting out in a way much like my own. At this, he backed slightly, and sat down next to me while questioning incredulously, "What are you doing?"

I would've thought that as I sat up and began to mess with his hair, he would've moved away or something, but he didn't, which thrilled the hell outta me. He was being cooperative to no end, even as I began to divide his long, soft hair into evenly-parted sections and arrange it with distinct precision. The grin on my face was unmistakable, especially with my complementing laughter and my simple answer, "Braiding your hair."

* * *

"I still question your logic!" I crossed my arms. "The Burgermon specifically told us this rocket _didn't_ work. Do you _really_ wanna end up halfway back to the Digital World and then just start falling…falling…falling…?" As I spoke my second clause, I illustrated my point with mimicking hand motions, my hand being this rocket that Agunimon thought it'd be a great idea to use and guiding it straight out before veering it straight down.

Koji and I had reunited with the group—Spirit Evolved once again so that they wouldn't suspect anything out of the ordinary—at the edge of a fairly large crater in which there had been a test rocket that once belonged to the Burgermon that had moved to the earth crashed nose-first (and with a gaudy smiley face dug out around it, the rocket itself serving as its nose). I hadn't said much as we got it out in one piece, but as soon as Kumamon and Kazemon arrived with the Starmon, rubber bands in tow so that they could _shoot _the rocket like a slingshot out into space, I began to question just how intelligent of an idea this truly was in essence. I, for one, didn't want to die.

Agunimon just gave me a slap on the back and grinned that snaggletooth grin of his. "C'mon, give me one good reason why this won't work!" _I _just_ gave you one, idiot…_ "Just have a little faith for once and stop relying on common sense!" _If I stopped relying on common sense, I'd end up like you…_ "This thing is as safe as can be!" He gave the tail of the rocket a good pound of his fist to reassure me, but at this, the whole contraption let out a loud creak. "See? Nothing to worry about!"

I sighed, but didn't pursue the matter any longer, seeing no point.

SuperStarmon sauntered up to us and gestured to the two other moons that were floating between the moon we were on and our destination. "Check it out. When those two moons line up with the Digital World, the electromagnetic stream will form a path that'll bring ya right on home, baby." _I'm never going to get used to that voice…_

Patamon flew over, his eyes wide with curiosity in the star Digimon's knowledge. "Um, are you super sure about that?" he questioned in a squeak. _Well, at least I'm not the only one wary of this idea…_

But SuperStarmon seemed pretty confident. If he had a mouth, I bet he would've been beaming real wide. He had his hands up on where his hips would be (if he had any, that is) and responded easily, causing a sigh from Patamon, "Super is as a super does. A fool such as I could never lie, my little hound dog. You got one shot, but hit it right, and it's 'Return to Sender'." _Ha, way to quote the title of an Elvis Presley song._ "Thank you, thank you very much!"

"Okay, we're all good to go!"

At the notification given to one of the Starmon overseers, the other Warriors came to us, and in unification, we all De-Spirit Evolved back to our human forms. But as soon as we did so, Takuya burst out laughing, causing a remembrance to spin back at me, namely as he questioned in his hysterics, "Aww, man, Koji! What the hell happened to _you_?!"

…_Oops._

His hair was still braided.

The way his face heated up was identical to the way mine usually did, but there was no blushing of any sort on my end this time. I just covered my mouth with my hand to keep from laughing, too caught up in the hilarity of the situation to apologize. Koji looked like he wanted to murder one certain brunette, but at current, it was impossible to take his threatening expression seriously, since there were two, neatly-done braids resting on his shoulders.

About the time that the poor Warrior of Light decided it was probably best that he didn't hurt his fellow Warrior was when the others couldn't refrain from laughter any longer. He made this irritated growl-groan sound and quickly struggled to redo his hair so that it wasn't…yeah, so it wasn't how it was. I had pity on the boy, but that was easily outweighed by the enjoyment I received.

"All right, guys. No matter how much Koji clearly enjoys the attention," Zoe began, collecting herself from the giggles that had moments before took over, "We should take off. All of the Digimon back at the Digital World need us!" She smiled as she put her hands onto her hips. "So c'mon, guys!" She momentarily gushed over the fact she was now taking charge before pretty much beginning to push the others up the ramp into the rocket's cockpit.

As we got on, Takuya—having gotten over Koji's embarrassment, at least outwardly—looked back to SuperStarmon, the Starmon, and the Gotsumon and threw up his fist. "Don't worry, guys! We'll save your friends—and everyone else in the Digital World! We promise!"

The Digimon all cheered at his proclamation and they were audible even as we got situated and the glass slid shut, closing us in. As if he knew exactly what he was doing, Takuya was pressing all sorts of buttons and such, looking focused beyond belief. _Why does he get to drive?!_ "Okay, guys!" He looked back briefly at us from his place in the driver's seat and smirked. "Next stop, the Digital World!"

It was instantaneous that the rest of us tensed, and it came into silence. As if it would help me brace myself and be better prepared for when we crashed and burned, I slid Takuya's goggles back over my eyes and grasped the seat for dear life. There was no telling just how hard we'd hit the ground, so all thought given to that scenario, I decided I'd best take the proper safety precautions in order to be ready to be killed in a traumatic, yet (hopefully) painless explosion.

There was a boom, and not even a millisecond later, people were screaming. I'll admit it: I screamed like a little girl.

But then in the midst of my screaming-for-dear-life-thing, I saw Koichi was pretty much entirely composed. My eyes bulged. "Koichi, what the—why—how the—?!" I decided my sputtering wasn't going to get my point across—he was already giving me a weird look—so I just spat out the next thing I could think of. "WE'RE GONNA FREAKING DIE AND YOU DON'T _CARE_?!"

As I was basically having a panic attack just about the takeoff by itself, apparently there were other problems. Takuya got up out of his seat with an alarmed voice in tow. "We don't have enough speed! I'm gonna get out there and speed us up!"

A spazz attack was pretty much the nicest name to which I could possibly give this spastic twitching I was consumed with. "YOU'RE GONNA _WHAT_?! YOU'RE LEAVING US TO DIE, AREN'T YOU?!" While thoughts of him bailing out on us with the only parachute invaded my head, he somehow got out of the rocket, Beast Spirit Evolved, used his power of Flame to give us a big boost, De-Spirit Evolved, and got back into the cockpit (the order of all of this may be screwy; I wasn't really watching as I was highly distracted with my crazy).

"Nice work!" I made out Koji's voice congratulating Takuya on saving our tails (for now; I wasn't getting cocky just yet), but I was still too busy feeling claustrophobic, praying to all the gods I knew, and trying to curl myself into a little ball in my seat to give a crap.

But then I heard it. Of course JP had to blurt it out, "Oh man, an asteroid belt!"

I felt a vein in my head pop. "A _WHAT?!_"

The entire tin can we called a mode of space transportation began to shake like we were in a blender and rocks thudded against the sides. I could hear the sound of metal bending, and before I knew it, Takuya sounded far too excited to be near death, "Yeah! Hold onto your hats, guys! It's gonna be a _wild_ ride! Yeahhh!" And now the freaking idiot as he was swerving the rocket around all the space rocks was laughing, whooping, and God knows what else.

"TAKUYA, WHY THE HELL ARE YOU _LAUGHING_?! I SWEAR I'M GONNA HIT YOU SO HARD—!"

*Clunk!*

I rubbed my head, snapped out of my temporary insanity. "Oww, what the—?" I glanced up and realized what I had hit my head on was the ceiling. "…Why did the ceiling get that much closer?" Then I looked down, seeing my seat was several feet below me. "Oh…" A long pause. "WHERE DID THE GRAVITY GO?!"

Apparently everyone decided to ignore me now, the next one to speak being Tommy, who didn't even give my hysteria a second thought, "Hey, this is fun!" He laughed heartily and chased after his hat, which had floated off of his head and was evading his grasp as if it had a mind of its own.

"Yeah, this could be fun, but I'm over it already." My eyes trained to Koji as he spoke, floating upwards, his body horizontal and his arms crossed. He didn't even seem to notice that he was moving; at least, it wasn't even remotely evident on his face. It was sort of strange actually. Not even his hair was all flowy. And that stuff was wiggly beyond belief. _Okay, things just got weird…Time to stop thinking about things that wiggle…_

So trying to distract myself, I saw Zoe having a world of difficulty with her skirt. She was floating upside down, so she had to keep her knees knocked together and she had her hands tight to the cloth, being sure to keep it from moving a single inch. "My skirt keeps falling up—I mean down—I mean up—oh whatever, just nobody look!"

While JP was busying himself by making a very off-guard expression that consisted of a contorted face, wide eyes, and a blush brighter than a ripe apple Takuya came over with a very defensive look on his face. "_You_ heard her, JP," he warned her nonchalantly. But he didn't seem to lament on the fact that he too had pink-dusted cheeks. And there it was: That distinct look in his eyes that I recognized oh-so well, that one that made me want to give him a smile and wish him well.

"But-but-but! What are you looking at _me _for?!" The Warrior of Thunder looked like Takuya had just accused him of treason, and by that look on the younger boy's face, he seemed to feel that too.

Before anymore could be protested, however, the rocket trembled and a strange grinding sound resonated all around us, followed by a hard bang. We all gathered to the windows and saw that we had landed ever-so precisely on one of the Trailmon tracks. _If that's not luck, I don't know what is…_ And the distinct bang was a Trailmon—one of the mole types—who we conveniently cut off on his route down towards the Digital World and rammed into us. He clearly wasn't pleased, especially how he voiced so with his nasally voice, "Move it, please, road hog!"

For a moment we just all looked at each other, not sure what to do. But then Zoe began to knock on the glass, calling out to the train Digimon, "Um, excuse me! If you'd be so kind, would you mind giving us a little push home? We're stuck and very much in the need of a simple favor…if you wouldn't mind!" I then realized what she was doing; she was trying to make the Trailmon want to save a damsel in distress. She was good, I had to admit that.

It didn't take long for the Trailmon to decide. In fact, it only took a half a second for him to respond, "Well, I suppose I could leap over you, but that seems like an awful lot of work, and it wouldn't be very nice, would it?" It was then he began to push, forcing us into dinting, slow motion. "Pushing it is. Oh am I ever going to be sore tomorrow from this…"

Zoe grinned, clasping her hands together. "Gratzi, Mr. Trailmon!"

We all looked to each other and smiled, pleased that we were almost back. The Digital World couldn't afford us to be distracted, and it was evident that more of the land was taken during our absence. I pressed my fingers to the glass, staring out at the land down below us, growing slowly closer. The sun was gradually disappearing and the darkness was beginning to take over, but I was certain that when the sun rose in the morning, we'd have to fight once again.

* * *

**A/N. And there you have it! The last chapter of the thirties under the belt! Oh yes, and as a side note, the part with Taky pressing his face up against the window was inspired when they're standing there talking because in the actual ep, he's facing the window and his back is all that's showing, so pressing his face up to the window is actually what it looks like he's doing. XD**

**Well, till next time! Ciao! :)**


	42. Chapter 40

**Yes! Here I am, kiddies! I worked hard and had several late nights because I was up working on this, and now I am finally finished with chapter fourty! Honestly 40 and 41 are actually a couple of my favorite episodes and I really enjoyed working with this one. But I'm just gonna jump into what I gotta say because it's late and I have practice tomorrow morning, so I gotta get to bed.**

**First off, I threw an Italian word in there courtesy of Zoe. She says "bello", which is the masculine form of the word meaning "beautiful". I think she says it once in the anime (episode 4 maybe?), but this is just a little ref.**

**Next off, Mirai both breaks the 4th wall once and uses for the first time the word "uber". Both within two lines of each other. I believe that's an achievement worth noting.**

**Finally, despite Mirai's really negative attitude towards the non-Warrior kids (an attitude that sorta reflects her older self), I actually really like them, and I think that it would've been interesting if Toei had kept to their original plans and made them the inheritors of the four once-evil Spirits. Plus the mini-development that Katsuharu goes through is really cool and I grew really attached to his character, especially as I worked through this chapter. I feel him and Mirai can really relate.**

**And now that that has been said, I really gotta go and get to bed, otherwise I'll be screwed for practice tomorrow. I'm not good with mornings as it is *pouts*. But anyway, please enjoy chapter 40! Ten chapters left, baby! **

**R&R please, loves! :)**

* * *

Chapter 40

"Ah, yes! Finally we can take a big breath of the Digital World's beautiful O2!" I gave a big, exaggerated stretch as we stepped onto the terminal platform, throwing out my arms and "accidentally" whacking Takuya upside the head while giving a big smile. We'd finally made back to the Digital World after a long and rather stressful trek back from the blue moon, and it was an enormous relief to all of us that we'd returned in one piece. Or at least as many pieces as we'd left with.

While Takuya rubbed his head from the unsuspected blow, he gave me a look of narrow eyes and muttered something that sounded a lot like, "You're gonna give me a concussion one of these days and then you'll feel really bad…" But to the Trailmon that had pushed us all the way from the outermost atmospheres in our rickety, old rocket, he showed off a grin and said in an audible tone, "Hey, thanks for the help, buddy. We owe ya one."

"What you owe me is a nose massage…" the Trailmon murmured, casting his green eyes on his nose of which was almost glowing a strawberry hue. "But I'm just glad I didn't screw it up." With that said, he went off, receiving good-byes and thank you's as he disappeared along the line.

And with that, we too decided to depart, so we walked out of the terminal, greeting this strange town that consisted of buildings that were made of highly-reflective metal. They seemed to reach up high, trying to reach the sun that would make them shimmer and gleam like a new strip of tinfoil. Or Edward Cullen. Eh, well. Never mind.

"So where are we, anyway?" Takuya brought his hand up to his forehead to create a makeshift visor (no idea why he didn't just turn his hat around instead) and squinted his chocolate-hued eyes as he looked about the town, maybe searching for a sign or something that could give him a noteworthy answer.

JP had an apparently "noteworthy answer" that he felt a need to share. "Yes, ask the people that have never been here before; that'll work."

In response, the Warrior of Flame nearly gave him a look that seemed to say that he almost didn't believe he just said that that bore resemblance to that narrow-eyed look he had presented me with earlier, but before the matter could advance any further, Zoe played her role and stepped in, quite literally taking up the spot between them, and saying with a significant amount of cheerfulness that instantly revealed she was in an excellent mood, "C'mon, guys, no need to fuss! Bokomon, could you please tell us where we are?"

On cue, the Digimon in question pulled out his green book and began paging through it. Once he'd found the proper page, he answered, "Glad you asked, my dear girl! What lies before your eyes is Steel Town! The whole place is made of steel." And snapped the book shut.

JP threw his hands up behind his head and retorted, "Gee, never would've guessed that from the name."

"You're just full of wise words today, aren't you?" I responded with a partial yawn of indifference. "Oh well, no matter. As long as we're back on solid, gravity-filled ground you can have all the sarcasm you want." Instantly my stomach churned and my mind spun about with thoughts of that horrid rocket ship ride that we had just experienced ringing within my skull. Sanity had not been with me at those particular moments in my life.

"It's all so shiny and bright!" Tommy, having mostly ignored the exchange between JP and me, ran forward a little and admired our surroundings. While being a proper city like we'd see in our own world, this still was so vastly different. And for the eager, curious minds, this was a place of vast uniqueness worth noting and taking in.

Zoe went up to the smallest Warrior, her hand up to her forehead as Takuya had done earlier and beamed. "Yeah, bright is right! Some of those buildings are reflecting right in my eyes!"

Takuya grinned in taunting. "I bet you guys wish _you_ had a cool pair of goggles right about now!" He reached up to pull his said goggles down in front of his eyes, but when he realized they weren't there, he turned and gave me an irritated glare. "Youuu…"

"Meee…" I echoed teasingly, smirking and sliding the goggles down in front of my eyes. I could smell his essence upon them. "Hey, you're right, Taky. These goggles _do _make a difference; thanks for the tip." I was almost tempted to stick my tongue at him, but I figured that he'd had enough of all of my mocking, since he'd received plenty of crap from me lately. But that didn't mean that I was gonna give the goggles back any time soon.

I crossed my arms over my chest and closed my eyes as I chortled, but as soon as I had done so, he dashed over and stole them back, snickering as soon as he succeeded in his mission. As I scowled at him with rigid shoulders and narrowed eyes, he proudly snapped them over his eyes and stated with a significant amount of pleasure (and arrogance) fresh in every note of his crispy voice, "Ah! The balance of power has finally been restored!"

Koji scoffed at his wording, shoving his hands in his pocket as he gave a half-smile and revealing a smug gleam in his crystalline irises, "Yeah, because _all _great leaders have _goggles_."

The brunette pouted at the remark, crossing his arms and objecting in a whiney tone, "Well they _do_!"

With the rest of us laughing at Takuya's expense, we began our walk from the terminal. Two high cliffs rose up on either side of us and the buildings seemed to melt away into a wasteland, the town divided in half with the path we were treading upon connecting the two parts. But the wasteland resembled nothing to the Continent of Darkness's emptiness where we had spent so much time previous, the sounds about resonating in lively sounds of nature. I could easily say I much preferred this place to that of the Continent of Darkness, yet at the same time, I knew how all-important that place was to the very balance and morale of our little team.

"It's not so shiny and clean here," Tommy noted as we rounded the bend that hid the gleaming town from our sight. Only the tops of the buildings a distance ahead peeked up above the tops of the high cliffs, lightly shining in their individual colors.

The Warrior of Wind smiled as she responded, "But it's still rather nice. The weather couldn't be any more perfect, either. It seems like we're finally getting a little break from all the chaos and fighting." She interlaced her fingers behind her back casually, her eyes momentarily disappearing as she turned her face upwards to take in the warm sunshine. I didn't know what pleased me more; her contagious, endless optimism or the weather she spoke of.

"Hey, guys, here's a random topic of thought and maybe possible conversation while we're currently unoccupied by evil dudes trying to kick our butts and take over the world," JP began overly bluntly, his weird, unexpected phrasing alone catching our attention. But that was typical JP Shibayama for you, I digressed; highly crude with his words but highly effective with his meaning. "What do you guys miss most about the real world?"

I kicked a rock with my shoe, watching it skitter off along the ground and knowing it'd take me a little bit to think of a proper response. "Well, you can start, JP, 'cause you brought it up," I retorted, slightly interested as to know what his answer would be.

His answer was like a reflex. "The food tasting exactly what it looks like." _Of course._

"Well, I know what I miss," Tommy jumped in eagerly, smiling at what he was about to say. "I miss my big brother Yutaka. Even though he always picked on me, I know now it's his way of showing he likes me, and since he's always away at college, I'm used to not seeing him often, but because we've been here so long, I really miss not seeing him whenever he comes home." He frowned as he lamented, but he was quick to perk back up again. "So who's next?"

"I miss my mom," Koichi admitted after a bit of a pause, sharing a glance with his twin and sort of putting a damper on the mood. We all looked at him solemnly, not expecting a thing when he suddenly added, "And school."

Takuya laughed at this, throwing his arm around the Warrior of Darkness. "Koichi, you're the only guy I know that'd miss school." He showed off that snaggletooth grin he was a master at making; something told me his answer wasn't going to fit under the definition of ordinary. "Me, I miss soccer! And you know what? I bet my team misses me more! Their best striker, their ultimate role model, their secret weapon, _aaaand_ the team sex symbol!"

WHACK!

"Modesty is definitely not on that list," I retorted, pinching the bridge of my nose while ignoring his whines that I hit him too hard. He should've thought about that before smarting off. "_Anyway_—" I cast the brunette a skeptical look, telling him with my eyes that we were moving on as long as he didn't say anything else stupid. "—getting back on topic…hmm, I miss…" I racked my brain, trying to think of something that no one else would think of taking. _Well, I for one miss that you need a license to drive a rocket…_ "The ordinary creatures of the real world. At least there we can approach animals without wondering if they're gonna draw a bazooka on us and blow us to bits."

For this, I received a few blank stares. Clearly they hadn't seen any homicidal creatures with bazookas here.

Passing over _that_ moment of awkwardness once again was Zoe on her happy little cloud nine. She seemed bound determined to keep this conversation going and on a good, positive note. "My turn!" She smiled really wide and put her hands on her hips. "I miss the real world's amenities! Comfy beds, hot showers—you'd think with us being the Legendary Warriors, someone would at least offer us a bar of soap to wash the dirt off our faces."

We all gave a dazed sigh at the thought of this one; Zoe hit the nail on the head and totally induced all of the daydreaming. But at the same time, we all suddenly felt very disgusted with ourselves.

"So what's your real world longing, Koji?" Zoe, jumping from one beat to another, interrogated. She gave him a wry smirk as she probed him like an intriguing science project, drawing out a frown on his behalf, making me believe that the ebony-haired boy had previous thought for sure he had gotten away without having to share and now that thought was completely demolished. "You've been pretty quiet; it's your turn to share!"

He crossed his arms and appeared to have been really pondering a good answer, as his eyes sort of fogged and he went into deep thought. Aka, he put on his Nonchalant Uber Sexy Face.

…Forget I just said that.

As the Warrior of Wind prodded him for an answer, hovering like an eavesdropping parent as their child was chatting on Facebook, Takuya decided to join in on the fun, over-dramatizing everything. "C'mon, Koji! It's like therapy—" He said this as if the Warrior of Light knew just what he was talking about from experience. "—just let it out, buddy! Let it all out!" Receiving nothing but narrowed eyes, he persisted. "You can tell us _anything_! Do you miss your friends or your favorite shoujo manga or the show that comes on every Thursday at four or your stuffed animal collection on your bed or or or—?!"

WHACK!

For once, I was just a bystander on the violence. Although I couldn't say that I wouldn't have done the same thing. Actually a little part of me was proud that I had rubbed off on Koji enough that he reacted in the exact same way as I would've, aside from the facial expression. While I probably would've been fuming and spitting out some sort of insult or something, he just stood there hold an expressionless look on his face with his hand still raised up where it had made contact with Takuya's head. And that entire concept that he didn't think a single thing of it was the best part.

And this triggered a good amount of laughter on my part. I really tried to contain myself, but my mind kept replaying the scene over and over until I couldn't take it any longer. In retrospect, seriously, how often did something like that happen?

However, in the midst of this, the good mood created was abruptly interrupted by the sound of pattering hooves. Peering farther down the path, a cloud of stirred-up dust rose up in a stream heading our direction. We all stopped, more out of confusion than wariness, for with the sound of a horse's cantering was also the distinct notes of sounding an un-intellectual laughing. God knows why whatever it was was so amused, but just the voice alone got me pretty annoyed.

And the Digimon appeared was pretty big. He was a centaur with armor about his bluish body colored in various shades of red, orange, yellow, and gray. His head seemed a bit too small for his body—I assumed it was sized more to fit his brain than his body from shoulders down—and his body from waist down seemed to be more based off of a beast of some sort rather than a horse as typical in mythology. He wielded a bow, and a quiver of arrows was at his side.

"Oh dear, it's Sagittarimon," Bokomon stated with an undisguised roll of his eyes, sounding more irritated than afraid by the large Digimon's arrival. "He's half man and half horse—and _all _mean. His Judgment Arrow attack is three prongs of pain, but don't get me wrong. He's a big, rude buffoon, but only when he realizes you're insulting him."

Sagittarimon stomped down right in front of us, shaking the ground and raising up some dust, but overall not being that intimidating. "Stop right there, humans!" He gave us a direct point of his fingers, as if he was making some accusation that we were supposed to know about. "While I have nothing against you personally, I must demand that you hand over all of your obsessions!"

…

…_What?_

Even Takuya caught this horrid mistake of word usage, and he was not exactly the most grammar-smart guy in the world. He had this obfuscated look on his face that seemed to ask 'Did you _really_ just say that?' "Obsessions?"

But then it clicked for the dumb horse Digimon. He scrambled to correct himself, but it was too late for redemption; we had already deemed him a big dope. "No, wait! I mean your _possessions_! I should've just said 'stuff' like I usually do; I never should've bought that thesaurus." He placed his hands on his wide hips, and he muttered to himself about regretting that last visit to the book store and that he knew he should've gone to the thrift shop instead.

"Sooo… you have nothing better to do than rob us?" Tommy questioned in such a tone that it merely sounded as though he wanted to get his facts straight.

Pleased that we were finally getting the picture, he waggled his fingers greedily, probably imagining that we had boundless amounts of riches that he could receive from us. "That's right. Now you don't wanna get hurt; hand over your obsessions."

JP looked incredulously at this entire situation, seemingly wondering if this wasn't really happening and was just some sort of lame joke. I, for one, really wouldn't blame him for such thoughts. "I can't believe we're being robbed by someone this dumb."

I crossed my arms as I retorted in a fake optimism, "We're not getting robbed, JP, just mugged!"

As he took a specific moment within this scene to give me an annoyed look, Takuya just merely closed his eyes and with a big smirk said, "Okay, just give a sec." And turned to the rest of us, a cue to get in a little huddle. His voice was now hushed as we started the discussion. "Well, guys, what's the game plan?" At this, he received pretty narrow eyes from each of us; just because we were in a huddle, didn't mean he could make dumb, sport-related puns.

"It's obvious that he's not with the Royal Knights," Koichi stated right off, having been basically the only one unaffected by Takuya's effort to lighten the mood. "Even if he wasn't uneducated in grammar, he just doesn't have that touch of evil." His eyes clouded into a hazy blue as his bangs cast shadows across the curves of his face.

The Warrior of Thunder was next to continue, talking casually as if the solution was simple and should've been obvious to each and every one of us, "Yeah, so let's just get rid of him and be on our way. After all, it's not like we can't take him." He revealed a wry smirk of distinct confidence and crossed his arms to make a rather prideful pose. "In fact, I'll bet Neemon's tacky, red pants that we could take him hogtied and blindfolded."

Sagittarimon clearly got impatient as his voice rang from outside our cluster, "What's wrong? Hand 'em over!"

We broke up our huddle at his blunt demand, our answer blatant, and Koji spoke for all of us, his eyes sharp and penetrating to match with his tone, "I'm afraid we're gonna have to say no to that."

Takuya continued to answer the instantly-confused look that our mugger was suddenly giving us for the refusal, his voice pretty indifferent in essence, "Look, we don't really have time for this, sooo…why don't you leave before you get hurt?"

And now was apparently that time when he realized we were insulting him that Bokomon had mentioned, because his face immediately contorted. For an ignorant idiot, he sure looked angry, and he looked like one of those sorts of characters who threw temper tantrums and wreaked havoc on everything in sight, even if the initial target wasn't in the room any more merely because he didn't realize they had got up and left about twenty minutes previous. "Trust me, you're gonna be the one that's gonna be hurtin'!"

I was just about to make a retort to the effect of, 'Am I the only one here that really doesn't believe a word that comes out of his mouth?' just as a voice cut through the air and interrupted the entire moment, "_Stop_!"

We all turned and up upon the cliff were four figures. Judging by their height, they seemed to be human children just like us, three boys and a girl. _But wait, human kids? That doesn't make any sense. Why would they be here? We haven't seen any other kids here the entire time; I thought that after we were chosen to be the Legendary Warriors, all of the other children that got the message from Ophanimon would've been sent home or something…_

"They're…human kids." Koji's voice caught my attention, and as I turned my face to look over at him, it seemed that he was having the exact thoughts that I was. His expression seemed to reveal his occupied mind as he pondered. "But…how? Why would they be here…?"

Bokomon decided to throw a suggestion out there, since no one seemed to know what was going on, "Well, perhaps other humans are working to save the Digital World as well. It is possible, you know."

I felt rather skeptical of this possibility; even from the distance that separated us from those other kids, I could see that there wasn't that strange, unmistakable quality that could distinguish a DigiDestined. "They aren't any Warriors, that's for certain," I replied curtly. "Even if they were specifically called by Ophanimon, you can just tell that they weren't meant to be Legendary Warriors; at any rate, there aren't any more Spirits left." _And they just don't have that aura about them…_

"Hey, you!" The tallest and probably oldest boy, probably the leader of the small group, began to interrogate Sagittarimon with anger in his tone. "Are you the no-good Digimon that's been stealing from everyone around here?! 'Cause if you are, I won't have any of it!"

"Yeah, and you're gonna get it!" the boy to the left of the first agreed, probably the leader's little yes-man going by his words.

Sagittarimon scoffed at the threat, treating it as nothing but a joke. "You guys?! You puny little humans?! I could take ya easy, even if you teamed up with these guys over here!" _Hey, come and say that to our faces, you little—!_

And in this moment that I thought that _maybe_ these newcomers would have some sort of trick of their sleeves, like some surprisingly wicked-ass stunt that'd totally prove Sagittarimon wrong (I mean, seriously, why would they be all dramatic on top of that cliff if they were just puny little rug rats spitting out empty threats?) and send the horse packing, but instead, the leader-guy just seemed to agree with Sagittarimon's last insult, which only proved to be more insulting to us Warriors, "Yeah, but we're not the ones that you should be worried about."

As if his words were a cue, from behind where they were standing flew out a tall, angel Digimon. He was mostly pure white in color and six wings sprouted from his back. Golden armor in the shape of the sun was placed on one shoulder, blue cloth wrapped around various parts of his body, and on his head was a metal helmet that concealed his eyes and gave way in the back to flowing, golden-colored hair. He wielded a long staff, which seemed to be his only weapon, but just by the magnificence that radiated off his figure, I knew he had many more attacks than just what he could do with that single weapon.

"Who is that?" I heard Koichi gasp, and when I turned to glance at him, he was looking to each of us for an answer.

Zoe didn't have a proper reply, but still she voiced what must've been the general consensus amongst all of us, "I don't know, but whoever he is, he sure is impressive! _Bello_!" At this—whatever the blonde girl just said in Italian—out of the corner of my eye, I saw Takuya make a face.

"It's Angemon! You could certainly do worse than him; he's a Digimon with a virtuous and compassionate heart, and very few can withstand his Hand of Fate attack," Bokomon answered breathlessly, in awe that such a Digimon would make an appearance here or something of that nature that simply made him fascinated with the man-like creature flying down towards us. Maybe he just liked the angel's snazzy boots, I didn't know…

Patamon was having a field day. His eyes were _huge,_ and he was basically a little fanboy at this moment. "I'm gonna be like him when I Evolve!" _Wait, so that little hamster Digivolves into _him_?! How the hell do you swing that?!_

Sagittarimon didn't waste much time. He turned towards the oncoming Digimon with an arrow pointed up at him. "Ho ho, you know what they say! Birdie, birdie, in the sky, drop a turdie in my eye!" He squinted as he aimed his attack. "Judgment Arrow!"

Angemon was hardly affected by this attempt, reacting quickly with his staff to deflect the arrow, and as soon as he dropped down to the ground, he hit Sagittarimon's bow from his hands, rendering the centaur unarmed. With his staff pointed up at his opponent's head, he spoke quickly and quite fluently, "Time for you to go!" And with a harsh stare—well, I really couldn't tell if he was staring or not, since I couldn't see his eyes, but it sure felt like he was—he sent Sagittarimon packing, swearing he'd remember this.

We—as in the Warriors, plus our three little Digimon party members, since we were the only ones apparently that this sort of thing was new to—stood there rather blankly at first, not sure what just ensued entirely. Sagittarimon disappeared around the bend, and Angemon just stood there casually as if he hadn't just released full, yet simple badassery on him. I had to admit that I was pretty impressed, and I full-heartedly mentally agreed when Bokomon just let out a little, "Wow."

Zoe added to that, sounding slightly out of breath, "Wow and a half…"

And here was Takuya, sulking and muttering in an almost inaudible tone, "I coulda done that."

The sound of one of the kids congratulating Angemon caused us to pull out of our little dazed state, and we began to pay attention as the small group of kids began to walk on a path down the side of the cliff to meet with us. The leader-boy turned his face directly to us and called out, his words making me outwardly frown, "Hey, are you guys okay?" _Don't talk to us like we can't fend for ourselves. You're the ones acting cocky even though Angemon did all the work. If you knew who we were, you wouldn't be talkin' so casually. _

But then the first two stopped and stared for a moment. It didn't take long to realize who they were looking at, especially when the shorter of them suddenly exclaimed, "Hey, look it's Tommy!" But I couldn't tell if they were happy to see the small boy.

"Looks like more friends for Tommy," Bokomon noted, but as I looked over at the smallest Warrior, friends didn't seem at all like the right word. He turned his head away and pulled his hat farther down his face to try and conceal that scowl that wasn't at all disguisable. Why he was making such an expression, I didn't know, but I was sure we all were gonna find out soon enough.

* * *

I watched Takuya with cautious eyes as he spoke, his arms crossed and his bark-colored eyes analytical, "So let me get this straight. You've been here the entire time that we were; ever since you got the phone messages and arrived on the Trailmon?"

This tense air had been present ever since we officially met up with this other, smaller group of kids. There was an obviously mutual feeling of distrust that flowed between us, even as we got introduced and tried to get onto a personal level. The leader was Katsuharu, a kind of shabby-looking boy whose disarrayed sandy hair and sharp brown eyes seemed to reveal an aggressive nature hidden under a layer of ingenuousness. His little yes-man was Teppei, who upon looking at him with his square-lensed glasses and lack of height seemed as though he may be an innocent boy, but like the aforementioned, seemed to be hiding something.

The other two didn't give off the same sort of feel as the first and really didn't seem as though they belonged in that group. The boy, Teruo, had a nice, round face and soft, woody eyes; he seemed to be the youngest of them all, but looked rather smart, nonetheless. And the girl was Chiaki, who with her two little braids and schoolgirl attire looked as though she was one to spend her time under a tree with a book. Out of the four, those two would've been the ones I would lay trust in. If I even bothered to trust any of them for that matter.

Katsuharu mimicked Takuya's gestures, his shoulders tight and his head slightly turned to one side. "Yeah. After we got on the train, we ended up at the Forest Terminal with a bunch of other confused kids. I mean, we weren't confused like them, but…yeah, you know what I mean. _Anyway¸_ we started talking to some other kids, and that's how we met Teruo and Chiaki. Then this chick told us to get back on board and go home, but we were like, 'Forget that; this place rocks. We wanna stick around and see what happens next.' So that's what we did. Pretty soon we met Angemon, and we've been traveling around ever since." He broke out into a confident smirk, despite just openly admitting they completely disobeyed Ophanimon's orders. "You know, like having adventures, fighting injustices—"

I cut him off, my voice rigid, "You mean _watching Angemon_ fight injustices."

The silence that followed could've been prepared for the listening to a pin drop. Katsuharu and I merely stared hard at each other for a long moment; he knew I didn't like him, and I knew he didn't like me. That was the only mutual understanding we had, because I refused to believe that his reasoning of "the Digital World is awesome and worth life-risking exploration" was good enough to defy Ophanimon, and calling her "this chick" only made things more tense between us; I wouldn't let him speak ill of the dead.

"Well, _anyway_—" Teppei began, taking us out of the tense soundlessness and back into what his leader originally had been getting at, "—we know it's dangerous, but we've got all this down! We've taken on loads of stuff already; there ain't _nothing_ Angemon can't handle." He looked to me as if this was a test to see if I'd respond as snarky as before, but I just glared down at the tile between where us Warriors and the others were sitting.

Another long moment passed, and as if it would help make them seem like the better ones, Katsuharu turned his gaze over to Tommy, who hadn't spoken since they'd addressed him from the cliff-side, and he briefly said, "Hey, Tommy…we're sorry about pickin' on ya." _So that's what it is? They bullied him in the past? Of course, he puts it lightly by saying that they 'picked on' him; it's always a joke to the bully, but to the victim, it's dead serious. Does he seriously think one little apology will solve it?!_

I heard the little Ice Inheritor make a 'hmph!' at the boy's words, knowing as well as the rest of us that that issue was far from resolved.

"Regardless of why you stayed, it's not safe here." Koji's gaze seemed to extend far past those he spoke to, reaching, penetrating. His mouth was a line as firm as his resolve and his voice revealed this very concept in all of its captivating entrancement. As I studied his figure, unmoving and straight of posture, I placed two figures atop his hand that rested subtly at his side. "You guys really should've gotten on that train if Ophanimon told you to do it."

Teruo seemed taken aback at the name, and he leaned back in a slouch that contrasted greatly with Chiaki's refined, straight-backed position next to him. "Ophanimon? Oh, is she the one that's been sending us those messages on our phones?"

Chiaki pulled out her phone, a little pink mobile with a red strap. It felt strange seeing an actual phone, that little touch of technology of the real world that felt ever-so far away. But she didn't seem to think anything of it as she began to click about through the files contained in it. "Yeah, we used to get messages all the time when we first got here… But we haven't received any for a while now." _That's because the sender no longer exists…_

JP perked up at the mention of a cell phone, ogling at the device as if he had forgotten that it was. "Your phones? Why is that? Did you have your D-Tectors stolen or something?" he questioned, crossing his arms skeptically.

"What's a D-Tector?" Katsuharu retaliated, not bothering to answer the questions already directed at him, as to all but one he could've easily replied.

We all looked at each other in perplexity, the gears beginning to turn as to why none of them had D-Tectors. After exchanging a few glances, I tried to piece it together. _It's because they're not Warriors. Our D-Tectors allow us to Spirit Evolve, scan Fractal Code, and track Spirits. Since they're not DigiDestined, they don't need to do those things as we do, nor do they have the ability. Ophanimon told us that we chose ourselves to be DigiDestined and that our Spirits bonded with us. Which means not everyone is right for the role…_ I curled my fingers around Koji's index finger and my jaw tightened. _Yet these stupid kids think they can play games with Fate…_

"All right. We get to ask some questions now!" Katsuharu interjected, not bothering to let us finish our thoughts. _You've only answered one of our questions._ "Like, what are _you_ doing here?!" _Doing our duty by obeying Ophanimon for one thing._

JP was the one to respond, looking as though he was getting a bit annoyed as well. His voice didn't conceal this, either. "Actually we're trying to restore peace to the entire Digital World."

It was their turn to give each other glances, but theirs were more sardonic as Katsuharu and Teppei grinned at each other, repeating the words 'world peace' in a mocking manner, added with Teppei smarting off, "Totally _groovy_."

"Who the hell says groovy, you hippy?!" I was tempted to jump from my seat and strangle that kid for his cockiness, and it seemed as though Koji knew I wanted to do so, as he squeezed my hand as a reminder to not get too carried away. With these kids, though, it was getting to be quite the challenge. I was having a hard time restraining myself, and it was certain my own friends were giving me slightly dirty looks for my rage, even though I didn't bother to look for such expressions. "For those of you that still live in the Digi-Dark Ages, the entire Digital World is being threatened by Lucemon, who wants to take the entire world over as he did centuries ago! He's using the Royal Knights to collect Data _as we speak_ so he can get strong enough to be revived! What kind of injustices are you fighting if you don't know the cause of the one behind it all?!"

Teruo used that deductive reasoning that I had previously seen on his face when first analyzing him, ignoring my question and eyeing us with distinct suspicion as he brought out his question, "How are you guys gonna save the entire Digital World by yourselves?"

"Yeah, look what you have for Digimon," Katsuharu sneered, his gaze taunting as he traced over Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon with his eyes. "They couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag if it had a hole in it."

Neemon didn't really help the situation as he cocked his head to the side and with a stupefied look merely said, "Hey, that's not very nice!"

"The most that those things could do to help the Digital World is volunteer to pick up the trash!" Teppei retorted, causing all his buddies to laugh. Their sense of humor was rude and narrow-minded; if they had seen who Patamon once was, they wouldn't have been laughing.

"Hey! Don't you make fun of our friends! If you knew who we were, you'd think twice before dissing us and laughing would be the last thing you'd do!" Takuya's face was turning a deep shade of red with anger; he grasped his pant leg in his fist as if it would help him hold back from unleashing all of his aggravation out on them. His brown eyes flared into hues of swirling auburn, his Element dancing within them. "We're the Twelve Le—"

He stopped abruptly as Koji reached out his arm to make a parapet between the Flame Warrior and the other kids, shaking his head, but holding a knowing expression upon the distinct curves of his face. Takuya analyzed that new look before conceding and growing silent.

"They'd probably get hurt even doing that!" Katsuharu remarked, still laughing at the joke Teppei cracked. "The poor little babies would stub their little toes and get paper cuts! And then they'd have to run home for their mommies to kiss the booboo and make it all better!" _How rude can you possibly get? You don't even know us._

"Listen already!" Everyone grew silent when Koichi suddenly spoke out, his voice raised and his face showing that even he was getting irritated. We hadn't ever seen such a side to the boy of Darkness, and I was pretty sure that's why we all paused to listen. "You really should go home. You're just going to get hurt if you stick around here; you don't know what lurks here in the shadows of the Digital World. One minute you can feel safe and sound, and the next minute your loved ones could be ripped away from you." He paused, lamenting. I instantly thought of all of the friends we had made that had fallen, and it seemed that's what the other Warriors thought of too.

The Warrior of Darkness's voice rose from the silence he'd created, but still held in the notes of a whisper, "…Do you really wish to risk that?"

His words hung in the air for a time and actually seemed to be taken into the other kids' consideration. Their eyes grew wider, and they seemed to be waiting to see what else he had to say. After a moment, Koichi began again, his voice low and detached, "Be honest. You don't even know what you're doing, do you? It's been luck on your side so far, but the time _will_ come when you'll be up against something that you won't be able to handle."

They all seemed insulted by the remark, and Katsuharu was the one to address the offense. He rose to his feet quickly and questioned sharply, "Is that a threat?!"

I was up before anyone could control my action. My D-Tector was in my grasp as I squeezed it as if to prove my point. "Do you guys really want to fight us?!" I snapped, my heart racing audibly. "I'll take all of you right now if it'll make you get the freaking picture! You go around as if you're unbeatable, when really any one of the enemies _we've_ faced could kick your asses blindfolded! Ophanimon told you to go home for a reason, and if you could just swallow your pride enough to see that you're just stupid kids with no reason for being here, it would make _our_ job that much easier! You don't know what the hell is going on in this world, even though the answer is staring you right in the face, and just that blatant ignorance alone will get you killed! I for one don't wanna be stuck with the job of babysitting stuck-up children when we _should_ be off protecting the Digital World as is our duty!"

"You're the stuck-up ones! You're acting all high and mighty when you didn't give any proof that you've done anything for this world whatsoever! Maybe you should be the ones to go home—let _us_ do the job the _right_ way!" He locked eyes with me, making sure the words he inflicted would dig deep and hurt. "You're just a lot of hypocrites. You yell at us and insult us as if we can't even fend for ourselves. You know what I think? It's to hide your own weakness—you can't stand to be compared to other kids because you know you'll come up short. Just look at you." He removed some of the space between us so he could look down upon me with that snide smirk. "You don't even _look_ strong—"

By the time I had realized what I had done, he had a bloody nose. Koji and Zoe were on either side of me and practically scolding me, grasping my arms to make sure I didn't do anything else, but I had no remorse. He deserved that punch in the face; _no one_ called us _weak_.

My jaw tightened as I merely stared hard at the boy while he held his hand below his nose to catch all the falling blood. I could see the hatred boiling in his eyes as he glared back at me and refused assistance from his other teammates. Beyond the loathing, I could see a little satisfaction in his eyes. He thought he was the better man here, and he took amusement in seeing me lose my temper in order to prove him right. _I refuse to believe he's right on any level…_

The tense silence that ensued allowed me to recollect myself, but there wasn't much of that to be done. Once my patience was that far gone it wasn't gonna come back any time soon. And just looking at the boy standing before me just reminded me over and over again.

"No matter what goes between us, when we say you should leave, it's because we don't want you to get hurt," Zoe spoke up suddenly, trying to redeem the situation and regain the stable conversation we had before things got heated. She didn't look at me at all as she said this, and she dropped my arm, a silent gesture that seemed to tell me she was detaching my words and actions from her own. "We're only looking out for you guys."

Teppei got up to his feet, not ready to forfeit so easily. "You can't tell us what to do! You're not our parents!"

I looked towards the shorter boy, trying to retain what little composure that remained somewhere within me, my voice crisp as I spoke out a somber contradiction, "We're not forcing you; we're giving you a warning…"

"We don't want your damn warning." Katsuharu seemed to be looking through us as he spoke, the nosebleed finally beginning to stop. He seemed to be at a point where he was too angry to even acknowledge our presence outwardly. "We don't even need it; you're the ones that should be going home." He looked to the rest of his group and gave a nod. "We're outta here." He led them out of the room, and as they turned the corner, his voice carried back, "And you know what, Tommy? We're _not_ sorry for picking on you! Kids like you deserve it!"

When they finally left was when Koji released his grip on my arm. I immediately frowned as I thought about how they acted. "You'd think we were talking to five-year-olds with the way they acted," I scoffed with the crossing of my arms. "They were talking about it like this is all some sort of video game where only the bad guys perish. With how cocky they are, I wouldn't be surprised if their next fight is their last. It'd teach them, at least."

As soon as the other Warriors gave me a disproving look, I immediately did a double-take from their action that was a complete reversal of my expectations. I could see the disappointment written on their faces and instantly knew what I said was the wrong thing. As they all got up and walked from the room, I merely stood there watching them leave. _Did I handle this the wrong way? _I furrowed my brows and looked down at the D-Tector still in my hand. _They had it coming. They were arrogant; if they make stupid mistakes, then it's their job to deal with the consequences. They consciously decided to disobey Ophanimon; they made their bed and now they have to lie in it…_

I pressed my face into my hand and let out a sigh, realizing my conclusion was not one my Ancient Spirit intended me to make when giving me the role as a Warrior. _Have I not come as far as I thought? _"Is my judgment still that distorted?" I wondered aloud, holding up my Digivice so I could stare intently at the little screen. "Am I… really that far off?" A blank screen answered me, putting more of my frustrations on hand. The gold and burgundy trim shone in the light, contrasting deeply with the unresponsive, black screen where I sought my answers.

Giving up on the pursuit, I walked out of the room and instantly saw Koji, Koichi, and Takuya discussing something with Angemon. They looked serious, and I instantly knew why once I got into earshot and heard Bokomon saying, "He's just doing what's necessary. You can't blame him if they wanted to stay, and them either for wanting to keep on and make something for themselves."

Takuya turned back and looked to Koji as soon as the ebony-haired teen began to speak upon the point Bokomon had raised, "He has a point. If someone said you were useless and tried to send you home, what would you do? You'd probably stay and try to prove them wrong, right?" Just by these words alone showed how differently Koji and I saw this, but with his words, I began to sort of see his point. _I wouldn't have wanted to go home…_

"Uh, well…" The Warrior of Flame seemed hesitant to admit the truth, even though we all knew just how he'd react. "…I don't know…"

"Well, I do. That'd be the first, second, and third thing you'd do," Bokomon stated as-a-matter-of-factly, crossing his arms and closing his eyes; he was right and he knew it. "At least you would after yelling and complaining a lot."

As Takuya conceded the point, I heard a strange sound come from my D-Tector, causing me to look down at it. The screen had lit up and the familiar form of my Human Spirit emerged. Her eyes glowed ominously and appeared to be looking up past me, so I turned my head and peered up in that direction, spotting a window on the second floor of the building we'd just left. Gryphanimon's face was grave, giving me a silent message that whatever was going on up there was something that I needed to check out. Making no note of my brief appearance to the others, I again turned and entered the building. I found the stairs, and as I climbed them, I could hear voices carrying from the upper room.

"—so tough you think you can boss us around, but you know what I think? We're staying, and you and your friends are leaving!"

I burst into the room, and instantly saw Teppei pinning Tommy up against the wall, grasping the smallest Warrior's collar and preparing a free hand to punch him. "Hey, get away from him!" I snapped, pulling the taller boy away and making a wall between the two boys. My eyes glanced back to Tommy behind me, watching him briefly as he caught his breath before returning my attention back to the bully in front of me. "If you think that you can use him to get what you want, you've got another thing coming."

Teppei gave a twisted smile at my words, crossing his arms. The light flooding in from the window behind us reflected in his glasses and concealed his eyes. "Of course. It's always one of the bigger kids having to swoop in and protect the baby. Typical."

Moving slightly aside, I only continued to divide them with the outstretching of my arm, trying to prove a point. "I'm just being a friend; he really doesn't need my help to go against someone like you. If you knew what we went through so far, you wouldn't call him a baby. He _alone_ as faced and conquered more obstacles than you stupid lot of children." I dropped my arm back to my side. "It's just that right now it's unnecessary for him to have to waste his energy on you."

"Well, well. You're a hypocrite if I've ever seen one." The sound of Katsuharu's voice pulled my gaze up from his yes-man up to him as he stood in the doorway. He walked in slowly, his feet completely silent, as he elaborated, "You say it's meaningless to fight us, and yet that's the very thing that you did earlier." He stopped mere feet from me, placing one hand onto his hip as he scanned my face. "The more you switch opinions, the more foolish you look."

My eyes narrowed, and I felt my fists automatically clench at his instant instinct to hurl insults. "I said it's unnecessary for _him_ to fight you; he shouldn't get involved with people like yourself, because it'll destroy his innocence and kind heart. I, on the other hand, have no problem with kicking your asses, since let's face it—" My face contorted into a smirk as I folded my arms across my chest. "—I'm as far from innocent as you can get."

The sandy-haired boy flickered his eyes away from me and onto Tommy, who held his head down, as he wrought his next words, "You and I both know that you're just saying that so you don't make him feel bad for how weak he is." His voice changed notes as he began to speak to the Warrior of Ice directly, not for one second disguising his meaning. "And that's the very reason why you shouldn't be here; this world is for the strong, and weaklings like you will only _die_ here."

"You're wrong…" Tommy suddenly brought his face up, his blue-green eyes glowing. "I'm strong." I could feel his gaze intensifying to hear his own voice unwavering and confident. "You're the one who's weak! You're hiding behind Angemon!"

The sound of an explosion nearby caught our attention, and I peered out the window to see smoke rising. I saw a figure in the distance, and he brought with him a cavalry. "Tommy," I began, addressing the little Warrior standing beside me, "We have to go." We flew down the stairs and out of the building, the other two kids on our tails, and I only stopped when I came up beside Takuya, who was already looking pretty annoyed. "Hey, what's going on?! What was that explosion?"

With a slight bob of his head, he gestured to the oncoming Digimon. He groaned before answering, "Our _friend_ is back."

"Yeah! Your friend is back, and now this time he's brought a few friends of his own!" The owner of the voice was none other than Sagittarimon, who looked pretty darn pleased with himself at that particular moment as he stood before other centaur Digimon that looked rather different than him, primarily in the factor that they weren't quite as facially expressive as our little horsey pal in front there. "Oh, you little brats are in for it now!"

"Those are Centarumon," Bokomon noted from slightly aback of us. "They aren't big on brains, but they're huge on brawn, and their Solar Ray attack won't brighten up your day." _Well, it doesn't really seem that intelligence is a common theme with horse-type Digimon…_

"This is what you all get!" Sagittarimon pointed accusingly at us Warriors, suddenly no longer pleased with his little army but seeming to be rather annoyed with us. "It's payback for not handing over your obsessions."

And unimpressed, us Warriors muttered back, "You mean possessions, not obsessions."

Apparently he didn't take being corrected very well, especially since it wasn't exactly the first time it'd happened. "I know what I mean; I have a mind like a steel trap!" He turned back to his mass of Centarumon behind him and yelled out, "Ready to attack, Centarumon?" He received fist pumps and cheers of confidence in response, making him sneer.

"Guys, get back!" Katsuharu called from behind us, him and Teppei looking way too cocky. "We'll take care of this guy!" _And how the hell do you think you'll do that?!_

When Takuya spun around to face them, he looked utterly sick and tired of this. "Look, just get out of our way and let us handle this! You guys _can't _face someone like this! Do you _want_ to be sized up and get your butts handed to you?!"

Again, that dumb leader-boy thought it'd be smart to argue his point. "_We_ can't?! Sure we can, no problem! Angemon will fight 'em!" _Tommy is right; you're just hiding behind Angemon to conceal your own weakness…_

Angemon landed in front of us, poised and ready for battle as if he _wanted_ to take orders from a narrow-minded kid. I couldn't see why he was sticking with them and playing along while it was clear they were completely trapped within this illusion that it was _them_ that was strong and that he was just the tool that they harnessed to gain victory. "I'll handle this! Katsuharu, you and the others find somewhere to hold up out of harm's way."

"That's only a nice way of saying to go run and hide because you're too weak to fight," I murmured.

"Fool! Do you really think you can take us _all_ on?!" Sagittarimon questioned, taunting Angemon with his eyes. He then looked to his army, waved his arm, and let out a battle cry to lead his men into battle. It was one lone Digimon against countless; I hated just watching with those odds, yet at the same time, a part of me was enthralled with Angemon's willingness to fight as he charged into the fray.

JP and Zoe ran to join the rest of us, Zoe immediately saying with clear worry in the notes of her voice, "I don't like this at all. Shouldn't we do something?!"

Takuya looked to the blonde, unsure of what decision to make. "Should we Spirit Evolve?" He paused to listen to the other humans who were commenting on Angemon's power and bragging about how unstoppable he was. This put an expression of concern on the brunette's face, and probably everyone else's as well, knowing just how wrong one can be proved in this world. The word 'strength' didn't have much meaning here.

"Charge!"

We spun about, seeing another group of Centarumon rushing in from the side, trying to limit our exits. _It's a trap_, I thought just as the Warrior of Flame vocalized the exact words, followed with Koichi's alarmed words, "Yeah, and we fell right into it."

This caught Angemon's attention, rendering him distracted momentarily and giving Sagittarimon a chance to strike. But the angel Digimon hardly noticed the opening behind him, too focused on what was ensuing with Tommy and the two other boys as the rest of us were. Running was hardly of any use to them, especially as the lead Centarumon brought up his hand that withdrew a cannon from his palm. It absorbed sunlight and formed a sphere of golden energy that sparked with intensity. It shot just short of their feet, but the mere force was enough to send Teppei to the ground, his ankle twisting abnormally under him.

"Katsuharu, help me!" He extended his hand up towards the boy that had frozen before him, trembling with fear and begging for help with tears in his eyes. Behind him the centaur Digimon continued to charge, the lead one preparing for a second Solar Ray. "Katsuharu, _please_!"

But the boy just stood there, unmoving, staring in horror at his friend. Fear had consumed him.

"You have to help him!" I screamed uncontrollably, the feeling in my legs gone and my head filled with far too much feeling. As much as I disagreed with these kids, I couldn't watch them meet their Fate. "_Katsuharu_!"

The attack grew closer, and time seemed to move about in slow motion. We all watched as Tommy dove in and grasped Teppei by the arms, spinning himself and the older boy out of the way just as the attack struck the ground where there were only a portion of a second before. Tommy crouched down before him, looking briefly for injuries, and the look that Teppei gave him was one that I had never before seen. But Tommy didn't think about it as long as I had, instantly rising to his feet and facing the Centarumon head-on. "You're all a bunch of bullies, and you're not going to bother us anymore!" He pulled out his D-Tector and Beast Spirit Evolved.

Just the mere sight of Korikakumon replacing the small boy made the other kids stare with agape mouths. Even the Centarumon stopped in confusion at the Beast confronting them, his axes glinting in the sunlight. "You guys still wanna fight?!" he taunted them, charging at them, and with a single, un-touching swing of an ax, the mere force alone was enough to send his enemies reeling back airborne. "You're not so tough now, huh?"

Takuya took this as a cue to lead us into action as well, whipping out his own D-Tector and allowing that ring of Data to appear around his hand in combination with the expression created by his hero complex. "C'mon, let's help him out!"

"Right!" came our unified reply.

We all followed suit and pulled out our D-Tectors. I looked to the others and willed the silvery Fractal Code to materialize as I pressed the side button of my Digivice. "Execute! Spirit Evolution!" The ring of energy sprouted and fanned around my form like a cocoon, and I made the transformation into my long-loved Human Spirit. "Gryphanimon!"

All of the rest of my friends took that form as well, and as one varied unit, we began to barrage the Centarumon with attacks. They went down like flies with one attack, allowing us to quickly sweep through whoever came up against us. In only mere minutes of combat, all of them had been taken care of, leaving in clear awe the other humans couldn't help but notice I notice, and quickly the only enemy that remained was Sagittarimon. But we knew that he was all Angemon's.

"I believe we have unfinished business," the angel Digimon noted simply before giving him a swift punch to the face powerful enough to send the centaur flying far off into the distance. That, I had to admit, was pretty impressive.

With our enemy taken care of, we all De-Spirit Evolved and felt excessively confident, especially with the looks that the other kids were giving us. They approached with a little bit of awkwardness, Katsuharu and Teppei especially, and when they came close, between Takuya and I, we managed to nudge Tommy up to the front to confront Katsuharu. The older boy, after a long moment of contemplation, suddenly smiled and held out his hand, saying sincerely, "Sorry, Tommy. This time it's for real. I shouldn't have called you weak, because you're stronger than I've ever been."

At this, Tommy smiled and reached out his hand, blushing slightly from the attention. His small hand met the boy's larger hand and as they shook, I saw the Warriors on either side of me begin to smile. _…All my friends are saps, aren't they?_

"It'd mean a lot if you'd let me call you my friend," Katsuharu admitted, added with an agreeing nod from Teppei next to him.

Instantly I slid into the scene, putting on a fake skepticism, "I dunno, Tommy. Do you really wanna befriend a guy with a haircut like that?"

The said sandy-haired boy gave me a slightly amused expression for my words, but Tommy didn't hesitate to laugh. "We can work on that," he responded to me, but then nodded to him. "But for now, the title of friends will fit."

But then Katsuharu looked over at his teammates, putting a hand on his hip and looking halfway somber. "Well, guys, now it's our turn to be brave and do something that we really don't wanna do." He looked over to the terminal that was close by. "We've had a great time here, but these guys are right. It's too dangerous, so I think we should go home."

His team smiled in agreement and nodded, finally deciding to obey Ophanimon. But right when things seemed to be turning out all right for the first time that day, a sudden wind picked up from nowhere, a cold, unusual wind that was anything but natural. Instantly we heard an all-too familiar, feminine cackle and a voice from above, "How moving! Beautiful, simply beautiful! But it would've been even more moving if you were defeated."

We whipped around and looked up to the sky, instantly seeing Dynasmon and Crusadermon looming above us. We didn't have to see them to know it was Crusadermon with her flamboyant language that had spoken, and now it was Dynasmon that added to her words, "I guess we'll just have to do that!"

"Not so fast!" Angemon leapt up to defend us, ready to embark into battle once again on human behalf.

But Dynasmon anticipated his humility and swooped in. I cringed involuntarily when his fist connected with the angel's chest, and instantly his Fractal Code appeared, feathers floating about that had ripped from his pure white wings. The Royal Knight extended his hand and absorbed the Data, ripping apart Angemon's battered form and sending his DigiEgg away while we stood there completely helpless and mortified at his heartlessness.

Then Crusadermon suddenly flew down and from her hand she shot out a golden netting. It captured the other humans, making the ease in which she did so evident in her tone, "Now, now. No need to fret. Not everyone gets the honor of being captured by someone as beautiful as me."

We pulled out our D-Tectors, unaware of the situation yet ever-so on edge. "Hey, what are you doing? Let them go!" Takuya snapped, just as the Royal Knights grabbed the net and took to the air. His face contorted as soon as he'd spotted Tommy grab onto the net and be taken along. "Wha—?! Tommy!" He took off running, and the rest of us could only follow. "Hey, get back here, you lame excuse for a tin can! Let our friends _go_!"

Dynasmon looked back at us, but it was Crusadermon who hung back, telling her partner, "Worry not, Dynasmon. It shall be I that takes care of these foolish children." She landed to the ground just as we got to her, and she pulled out a single rose that glowed like a hot coal. "Ah, the sweet smell of defeat, even if you are not worth the effort. Scarlet Tempest!" She threw the flower, and the petals pulled from it, spiraling like leaves directly at us.

We had no choice but to freeze in our tracks. I blocked my face as the petals sliced past my skin like blades and I held my tongue. I peered with one slit of an eye out just as Crusadermon disappeared in the distance, knowing that this was far from over. We had to get our friends back.


	43. Chapter 41

**A/N: Whew! Finally finished with this chapter! I don't think I've had this big of an issue with a chapter for a long while. I had some up and downs, and I really don't have a high opinion of this chapter overall, but I'm not gonna do any more editting than I already have because I just want this thing finished! But hey, this chapter brough me to the 600-page mark! As of this chapter, I'm on page 608! :D**

**!NEWSFLASH! I'm now a college-bound high school grad! Livin' the big life now! XD Actually my point of saying this is that I'm gonna try to be working double-time on this fic over summer, because my goal is to finish it before heading off to college! :3 *crosses fingers***

**Oh yes, a huge huge HUGE wave of gratefulness goes out to crystalwolf99 for making me beautiful artwork for this fic! She drew me the most beautiful and accurate sketches of Mirai, Kazuma, and Gryphanimon! Kyaa I just can't get over it! They're on my blog if you wish to see refs (a link is on my profile). GAHH THANK YOU SO MUCH! **

**Anyways, might as well move onto this chapter. Koji is awesome in this episode. Basically everything he did made me laugh, even if it wasn't funny. But he does act kinda dumb in one part, especially when he whacks himself in the face with a board (No. Seriously. Check the ep.).**

**Next, when on the train, there is foreshadowing to the last chapter in Mirai's monologue! :3 Yes, I cannot wait for that chapter; I finally settled on an idea for it that I'm pleased with.**

**Oh yeah, before I forget, I must warn you that the beginning of this chapter is a little chaotic, but I feel it's kinda justified with how I portray Takuya and his hero complex in this fic. Please don't get mad at me for the OOCness~! *covers face in preparation to get hit with something***

**Random note: I rewatched episode 22 for part of this chapter and I forgot how much I LOVE FLAMON! He's just so cute~! **

**Ehem, anyway (this is the final note, I swear), I didn't realize just how much the song in this chapter fits until I physically wrote it in here. When I first heard it, I knew I wanted to add it, but I totally didn't see the similarities. In one part it almost sounds like she's singing about her Memory Aura... o.o And I wasn't even thinking about the song when writing the monologue immediately before it... Strange...**

**Okie, that is all for my author's note. (Well actually there's a few A/N inserts here and there) Hope you enjoy the chapter! R&R please, my loves~!**

* * *

Chapter 41

"Damn it! Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

We only watched in solemn silence as Takuya ripped himself apart inside. The contortion of his face from panic to a mixture of anger and self-culpability was painful to watch; the twisting of the bright colors in his eyes with the dark and how he grasped the sides of his head tight with his fingers only illustrated the mass of conflict that raged on within him. The notes of aggravation and blame in his voice contained a sharp sting that seemed to be widespread from its epicenter. It was troubling to see the Warrior of Flame when he dragged himself down in such a manner, knowing how much he held himself responsible for his adopted younger brother's kidnapping. He knew himself to be the leader of the Warriors, the guardian over all else, the protector of his family; we all knew his self-assigned place full well and almost even more so how he falls when he looks personal failure in the eyes.

And there was nothing we could say that could possibly pull him out of such things; we knew that already from experience. We merely stood there waiting out the storm. I looked to Zoe, who I'd never seen appear so sorry. There was that empathetic spark within her emerald irises, dampened by how it pulled her down to see the brunette so broken. She seemed as though there was something she wanted to say; there were moments that she'd lift her hand as if she was going to extend it to him and comfort him, but then she'd pull it back with an expression of tiredness and ambiguity.

"I should've watched him better," Takuya murmured, his breath audible and shaky. His hands slipped down from his head in slow motion, his eyes stagnant as they stared where the Royal Knights had disappeared in the distance. "This is my fault."

Koji furrowed his brows, his expression critically skeptical of the boy's words. "Get a grip, Takuya." With the solidity of his voice, the other Warriors gave him a surprised expression; he was merely being the voice of reason within all of Takuya's negative thinking. "He made the choice himself; the Royal Knights didn't kidnap him."

Takuya spun around fluidly to face the level-headed Warrior of Light with a flaring, wounded gaze that looked almost as though Koji had punched him in the gut. It was then I gained the realization that he had tears gathering in his eyes. "Koji, he's my responsibility—if I would've been paying closer attention, none of this would've happened! I'm the one that's supposed to look out for him, and I promised him I'd take care of him!"

"Don't you think you're not the only one that feels responsible for him?" Koji countered, causing the brunette to flinch at his tone. "We all look out for each other; you don't have to play big brother all the time, because when it all comes down to it, we're a team and each part is indispensible to all the others. You don't have to carry the weight on your own, especially when there was really nothing you could've done!"

Those words seemed to strike some sort of nerve, and Takuya appeared offended as if his friend was calling him useless. "I could've—I could've stopped him! At least then he would've been safe! I could've done _something_!" He cried out in frustration and seized the collar of Koji's shirt, yanking him close. "Koji, you have no idea what this is like! I'm the _leader_! I'm _supposed_ to keep everyone safe! It's my duty—it's the very thing I feel I was sent here to do, and I _failed_! You can't tell me you know what that feels like!"

"Stop blaming yourself for things out of your hands!" Zoe pushed in between them, her face stricken with heartache and weariness as if the entire world took to rest on her shoulders. Her golden hair mangled as it pushed against her flushed cheeks, her eyes tangled up in Takuya's as she clutched his shirt as if it were a lifeline, and he stared in bewilderment back. "Takuya…" Her mouth froze as it hung slightly ajar, the sudden silence taking away the rest of her words.

Her voice saying his name hung in the air, and nothing else dared interrupt it. The atmosphere was tense as the two Warriors merely gazed at each other, Zoe's eyes pleading and filled with perpetual understanding, Takuya's tearstained and wild with desperation as he silently permitted his face to dampen. The girl's fingertips never once pulled from the yellow fabric, and they seemed to be holding each other afloat within the endless depths of their minds' illusions.

One hand that had laid limp at his side moved in slow, unnatural motion, upward as if there was something in between them he was trying to reach out and touch, and without peering downward to see it, the girl of Wind released one hand from its place and brought it down to meet his. But they never touched, only remaining suspended inches from each other, like some invisible force was preventing them from meeting.

A long moment ensued, the tension reaching a high point, and finally Takuya turned his head away almost in a reprehensible manner, lifting his arm to wipe his face, the mere movement causing Zoe's face to slightly distort and her brows to furrow. "…I'm sorry," he muttered, disguising the heat that was beginning to gather. He looked to Koji and tried to smile, but it turned out appearing more fake than real. "You're right, Koji. Sorry for flipping out on ya like that."

The Warrior of Light gave a half-smile and shrugged as he put his hands into his pockets. "Naw, we all have some of those moments."

"Okay, now that _that_ is over," cut in JP, looking pretty annoyed with the whole circumstance. "It looks like the Royal Knights took Tommy and the others to that weird tower-thing off in the distance. So if we wanna get there, we should probably get moving."

Takuya nodded, putting on a firm resolve, but keeping his emotions all in check. "Yeah, let's go after them."

"Now I wouldn't do that if I were you." A nasally, yet familiar voice came from behind us, and as we turned, we saw the pink, mole-like Trailmon coming up the tracks with a loud screech. With him were several other Trailmon as well, who agreed with the first one whole-heartedly. They all looked down upon us as if we were blind to some truth that should've been blatantly obvious, even if we _weren't_ humans from an entirely different world.

We ran up to them just as the boxiest one colored in a rusty red said, "Yeah, not many 'mon are dumb enough to go over there. You might as well forget about them."

"But they're our friends; there's no way in hell we're leaving them!" Takuya protested fiercely, balling his fists and his entire body stiffening, but keeping his cool overall. Inside I knew there was a part of him that begged for release that wanted to let all of hell loose, but the part of him in current control knew far better. "There isn't anything that'll keep us from getting to them!"

Before Takuya could start a rant-speech-thing, I cut in, putting my hand on the boy's shoulder just as he was about to open his mouth and say more right as I questioned to the Trailmon, "But what could possibly be over there to fear, anyway?" My hand slid off Takuya's shoulder, and I placed it gingerly on my hip, giving them incredulous expressions. _Or at least what could possibly be there to fear more than anything else we've faced already?_

There was a long, dramatic pause before the red Trailmon answered (overdramatically, I might add): "…Beanstalk Village."

…

It took a second to set in, but then we all repeated simultaneously, "_Beanstalk Village_?"

"Bingo!" he responded, sounding almost cheerful that we had heard him correctly (which honestly, I was skeptical at first that we actually had heard him right). "What would _you_ call a village with a giant beanstalk sprouting up in the middle of it? Bean Town?" _Well, that's not a _horrible_ name, I guess…_ "It's a long way off, but you can actually see the beanstalk from here." He averted his eyes up and off to the distance behind us, drawing us to look back.

And apparently that big tower thing was the said beanstalk; it was miles upon miles high, reaching far up into the clouds so high we couldn't see the top from where we were. As JP exclaimed the common consensus, "That's a BEANSTALK?!" all of our mouths fell open a little bit. _Only in the Digital World would you find plant life _that_ big. Hopefully none of us have to play the Jack and have to climb up to the top of that thing. _"Is there a mean giant too?!"

Zoe chided the Warrior of Thunder for such a remark with her typical, "Oh, JP!" and pinched the bridge of her nose, but honestly, I had been secretly wondering the same thing—not that I'd tell her that. I didn't wanna have to face a big, angry giant, because knowing the Digital World and all of the creatures living in it, it would've been loaded with all sorts of weapons and attacks that it could use if it didn't manage to squish us under its feet first.

After we had gazed at it for a time, Takuya spun back around and faced the Trailmon, his mood restored somehow and made evident with his next inquiry that came out almost too happily to have seemed normal after such a breakdown he'd had previous, "Alright, Trailmon! Which one of you is gonna be the lucky one to take us to Beanstalk Village?"

That was the clinching question right there. Instantly they began to spit out excuses—which ranged from things like they have to do laundry or having an appointment in Breezy Village to get a wax and buffing—and they took off down the tracks. But not without nearly squashing us under them first. Of course, because that was _completely_ necessary to make their point complete.

"Hey! I don't appreciate becoming a road kill pancake!" I shouted as they disappeared in the distance, on the ground after having to lunge out of the way. I picked myself up and crossed my arms with an irritated groan, looking to the other Warriors. "Well, Trailmon sure have a way with making points." _All they have to do is run over the people they're debating with and win the argument by default. _"So what are we gonna do now, hitchhike to Beanstalk Village?"

Instead of someone giving me a response, we all at one moment caught ear of a sound that sounded suspiciously like someone snoring coming from inside the terminal. We gave each other a look and headed inside, and low and behold, the sound of someone snoring indeed was a Trailmon—I felt like his name was Worm, if my memory served—catching some Z's. And by just the sheer volume, he sounded less like a passenger train and more like a freight train.

"Sounds like he's counting some sheep," JP noted as we got close enough to see that this particular Trailmon was pretty dirty-looking, like he hadn't had a bath in a good while. Although, the more I though about it, the more I questioned if Trailmon actually do take baths.

"Or buffalo," Zoe retorted.

Takuya put a hand on his hip and gave an awkward partial-smile. "Well, whatever he's counting, he's our last chance."

JP went up close to Worm and cupped his hands around his mouth for a makeshift megaphone, shouting for all he was worth in effort to get him up, "Rise and shine! All aboard for Beanstalk Village!" …Nothing. And this result only caused the Warrior of Thunder to sigh and give a look of defeat.

Instantly Takuya slid over (no, really. He literally slid and made a obnoxious squeaky noise while doing it.), struck a pose, and then began to tickle the Trailmon, making those "goo-chi goo-chi goo!" sounds all the while, long enough that JP joined in, and _still _long enough that Worm had awoke and sneezed on them with enough force to blow them back and to the ground as if they were in a wind tunnel. But normal wind tunnels didn't render the people inside covered with snot.

I would've helped them up, but I really didn't wanna touch them when they were covered with…ew. "Okay, not even Takuya deserves that, and he deserves a lotta things."

"Hey, what was that about?!" Worm inquired in unhidden annoyance, inching forward so that the gap between him and us had shrunken a good deal. "Why'd you have to wake me up? I'm trying to get some shuteye here!"

Clearly he was in no mood to be our taxi for us by normal request, so Zoe took it upon herself to get something done around here in a very disturbing way. "C'mon, Mirai, let's go to work!" She grabbed me by the wrist and instantly pulled me over to Worm. While she got her whole sex appeal thing going on by putting on a pretty-please sort of pose and going, "I just _love_ that you're so outspoken! Do you think a big, tank-charged Trailmon like you could help me out?" I just stood there awkwardly, my mouth hanging open at a slant, refusing to partake in that.

I swear that freaking Trailmon was blushing. If _he_ was turned on by her, then we'd have some issues in this area. "Why, sure!" he responded, a complete flip from how he was acting when talking to the guys. "You can just call me Wormy."

I had never heard so many groans at one time. And then there was JP, who seemed _way_ too aroused by the Warrior of Wind's behavior for comfort. But I wasn't going to brood over the matter for too long, because there were far too excessively-weird things going on for my mental stability. And for this same reason of pious awkwardness, I decided it was better that I didn't start a rant why this was wrong in more ways than one (plus it may also ruin our chances of getting a ride). Yet I was highly tempted to ask Takuya for the reason why he looked irrefutably jealous.

"Actually we could all use your help," Koji piped up, the only one basically unaffected by that little moment and probably also the only one that remembered why we were even here talking to Worm in the first place. "We need a ride to Beanstalk Village."

Apparently this subtle request was a bit too much to ask for. "NO! You practically scare my wheels off by yelling at me, and now you expect me to give you a lift?!" He began to back away, watching us with his four, yellow bead-eyes, and then went forward, causing us to shuffle aside to not be run over as he went past. He parked just a few feet away, looking as though he was going to go to sleep again. "Look, I've never been there, and besides, I need more rest—" He let out a rather dramatic yawn to emphasize his point. "—Well, nap time! And _don't wake me_! Good night!"

When we just stood there, feeling stupefied over his laziness, Bokomon ran over to him and began to wipe the dirt off of a sign posted on his side. "A moment, Mr. Worm. Your plate says otherwise." And the rest of us joined him, reading the sign for ourselves and confirming.

"You're the Beanstalk Village Express," Takuya stated as-a-matter-of-factly, seeming very prideful that he gets to rub the Trailmon's nose in the fact he caught his lie. "My guess is that you were still a little sleepy and just forgot where you were going, right?" He crossed his arms and seemed quite pleased with himself.

Worm didn't take the news too lightly, as it only took him a second to start shaking like a phone set to vibrate and knock off the sign.

JP, Takuya, and Zoe were the ones that were the most unimpressed by this action, narrowing their eyes at the Trailmon, JP and Takuya actually looking pretty angry with him while Zoe just looked downright miserable.

Her voice matched all-too well with her facial expression. "What a giver."

"He's all heart," Takuya muttered in sarcastic agreement.

"He's all _something_," I sighed, shaking my head to keep away an on-coming headache. I looked to the others. "Well, doesn't look like he's voluntarily gonna give us a ride, so does anyone have any ideas? Maybe we could bribe 'im or something."

As the others tried to ponder my suggestion, it was Koichi that suddenly perked up and suggested, "Hey, maybe we _could_. Just look how dirty he is." He looked to each of us, seemingly studying us to see if we were about to reject his idea or not, then back to Worm. "Maybe if we give him a good wash, then maybe he'll consider giving us a ride."

Takuya gave a snap of his fingers and grinned. "Ah, that's it! But where do we get all the cleaning stuff…?" As he wondered this aloud, his face didn't show any questioning as he noiselessly snuck onto one of the train cars, beaming all the while. We heard him puttering around inside, sounding like he's digging around within a closet or something, and in mere moments, he emerged with some buckets, a couple mops, and a few sponges. He stumbled about with all the supplies awkwardly, and he had one hell of a time trying to get outta the train without tripping. "Aww crap, forgot the soap…"

Deciding to be at least a little helpful, I pushed past him and got into the train. "Don't worry, Taky, I got it." I saw the itty bitty janitor's closet in the car, which seemed to be a sleeping car with individual rooms, and all of the supplies pretty much dumped out on the floor. I frowned at Takuya's messiness and began to search for the bottle of soap. It wasn't among the supplies on the floor, so I checked in the closet. There were several shelves with various cleaning supplies that went above my head. And on the top shelf was the bottle of soap. "Of course it'd be way the hell up there…"

I groaned at the obvious misfortune and looked for something to stand on. There were a couple boxes, and I wasn't certain they'd hold my weight for very long, but I decided to go ahead and risk it. _I mean, what could happen?_ I stacked them up and climbed up, my own lack of balance making me teeter slightly. I got up on my tippy toes and snatched up the soap. "Yes!" But then the boxes toppled over, and in my haste, I swung forward, my arms windmilling frantically, bashed my face up against the shelves, and knocked them down with me.

Needless to say, all of them had no choice but to land on top of me.

"Oww…" Unburying myself from the masses of complete and utter crap was basically the most embarrassing part of this. Much to my luck, no one had come to my rescue at the sound of the cleaning supplies avalanche, which was surprising to no end because not only was the stuff crashing to the floor loud, I also had let out what can only be described as the girliest scream to ever come out of my mouth.

But my mission complete (yet still a bit more painfully than intended), I got up. I cursed the soap for putting me through that, and I was about to leave when I looked back and took into full realization what had actually fallen on top of me. Spilled all about the floor were several cans of spray paint. Instantly I grinned. "Sweet."

"Whew, almost finished! You're gonna look so badass when I'm done."

I smirked at my growing achievement as I paused to wipe my forehead. Glancing over at the Warriors (and Bokomon and Neemon who were messing with a plunger that got stuck on Neemon's head), who were busy washing and scrubbing Worm clean, it seemed they had some good faith that this was gonna work. I was hoping so too, so that all my work wouldn't have to go to waste. After all I wasn't one for art, but it seemed I was getting pretty good at this whole graffiti-thing.

"What are you doing?" Zoe questioned, giving me an incredulous expression. She looked at my work thus far, then back to me, distinct perplexity in her eyes all the while.

Shaking the can of fire truck red paint and listening to the marble rattle around obnoxiously inside, I responded back in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone, "Giving him decals. When I'm done, you'll never have seen a train looking this awesome." Pressing the little button, I began to spray the paint on Worm's side, trying to keep my movements precise as if applying the paint was some sort of science. "I thought flames were the way to go for this guy."

She narrowed her eyes, unimpressed by my answer. "That's great, Mirai…" she muttered, causing me to laugh shortly.

"Dude, that's awesome! Love the flames!" Takuya peered down from the top of Worm where he had been scrubbing the Trailmon clean, revealing a snaggletooth grin. "You think I could do that to Agunimon's armor?"

At this we both groaned. Spray painting your Spirit probably wasn't the best course of action.

"You're incorrigible," Zoe sighed in a voice just loud enough that it was certain Takuya would hear, pressing a single hand to her temple and shaking her head. "I think that the paint fumes are seeping into your head…" _That's not the worst theory I've heard about his relapses of stupidity…_

He made a face at the Warrior of Wind's claim, but didn't actually defend himself against it. Rather, before he could do so we caught ear of JP and Worm bickering about something, and the Trailmon, having no more patience for our antics of bribery, began to chug away. My work, needless to say, was abruptly interrupted before its completion, but that wasn't of much importance anymore. After all, the main objective was to get on the train Digimon before he left us behind and without a way of getting to Beanstalk Village, so upon Takuya's quick command, we all scrambled to get into the train.

I hectically snatched up my several cans of spray paint, both trying to scoop them up and run for the nearest train car door at the same time so in essence basically almost running over the cans and slipping on them all because I was too stubborn to let the paints go before I finished my work. But all in more or less good time, I had gotten them all gathered up, and following Zoe through the door she'd opened and jumped through, I made a mad leap through it. It was basically a belly-flop that scattered all of my cans of spray paint about the car, but it was that time that I just lost my interest in keeping track of them.

Pulling myself onto a seat and flopping onto my back, I witnessed firsthand a consequence of Zoe's constant helpfulness. She leaned out the door and called out for JP, only for the Warrior of Thunder to make a lunge and land right on top of the girl.

Needless to say, the twins and I who bore witness to this gave an involuntary cringe.

Luckily they had gotten all resituated and on no-harm-no-foul-so-let's-never-mention-this-again terms before Takuya entered the car. Despite Zoe's unmistakable blush that consumed her entire physiognomy and the funky look on JP's face, he didn't seem to notice any change of any sort, which was probably to everyone's benefit. He, like the rest of us, was probably shaken up just from Worm shooting off like he was launched from a cannon.

But regardless, it was common consensus to have relief that everyone had made it on board on time, which was quite surprising, given just how off-guard the Trailmon had caught us. After all, it wasn't every a Digimon didn't care if they ran us over. Oh wait, never mind.

"Just because we proved we can jump onto a speeding train doesn't mean we have to do that again anytime soon, does it?" I groaned from my place stretched out on a seat. "I'd rather be left behind if that's the case." I rested the back of my hand across the bridge of my nose to half-cover my eyes. From under me, I could feel the vibrations of Worm bouncing along the tracks, feeling much shakier—therefore much faster—than the trains I knew back home.

From nearby peering out a window, Koichi answered with a slightly dazed voice, "I agree. Next time we might not be so lucky." From the gaps in between my fingers, I watched him with one, curious eye as he pressed his fingers to the glass. It wasn't in the same manner as he did when on the moon, when he gazed down at his twin's unconscious form within the Starmon's glass unit and came centimeters from touching his hand to the transparent barrier between them—he now lacked that look in his irises, one of his many looks I couldn't fully interpret.

"Hey, at least Worm has calmed down a bit now," Takuya noted, walking over to the window opposite the Warrior of Darkness and looking out with acute interest.

But then Worm slammed on the brakes. I tumbled backwards off the seat and onto the floor with a painful thud in a mangled pretzel body. Everyone else slid as well, but I was pretty sure that I was the only one that needed a chiropractor right then. Of freaking course.

"I am going to kill that Trailmon," I muttered, untangling myself and gathering my bearings. I looked to then everyone else, who seemed to be pretty much just stunned out of anything from Worm's sudden halt, and crossed my arms. "He better have a good reason for this." The irritation I possessed for Worm was growing faster than what was safe for that train. I was pretty sure if he kept up this behavior, I would lose it and kick his caboose.

Koji began to head for the door with his brother close behind on his heels, responding back to me while flashing back a single, navy blue orb as we locked eyes for the briefest of moments, "Well, we'd better find out."

"Yeah, before there's any ass-kicking involved." Takuya grinned at me knowingly with those bright brown eyes shining, reading the annoyance that was in my voice and on my face. He squeezed my shoulder to get me going to the door after the twins, and when I complied with nothing but a glower, he seemed pleased there was no grumbling on my part. But I figured for him, he considered that that was quite the accomplishment.

When I jumped out of the car, I saw the land surrounding us. It was a wasteland, but seemed rather homey. The sun was shining cheerily upon the land, and a nice breeze flowed around our forms and along the ground. There were no trees or grass, but it seemed nice enough without them. The dirt was a honey-like tan that rose up into mountains in the distance that reached up to touch the friendly blue sky and the fluffy, white clouds. By how serene the setting was, it almost seemed hard to believe this world was in trouble. This was a place where time seemed to take a pause and everything played to a gentle, easy beat. It was simple to get lost in the innocent beauty that surrounded us.

Pulling myself away from the scenery, I followed the others to go up and talk to Worm. I was beginning to believe this was a scheme on his part to get us out and then rush off without us, and I was about to suggest that very possibility to the others when I saw a giant gorge that made passage impossible. There was no visible bottom, confirming this was the work of the Royal Knights in their efforts to take all of the Digital World's Fractal Code. Peering into it, all there was was a drop-off that went straight down into an eerie, gray-black haze. Even the train tracks that appeared to have once traveled across seemed to have been ripped away, its mangled ends bending downward into the drop.

I kicked a rock off the edge, and all eyes just watched it plummet. It sunk into the ominous clouds, swallowed whole by the darkness. Somehow that gave a chilling feeling that spurred from my spine, like I had an irrational expectation that I was going to hear it hit the bottom or it was going to slice through the haze and rip a hole in it that we could see the innermost center of the world through. But _no_. It was consumed. Consumed in a world of darkness.

"Oh man…" I heard Zoe whisper, and I wasn't entirely certain why, if it were for the fact we weren't able to get across or the emptiness itself below us that prevented our travel.

We merely stared in an emotionless state for a few moments, the only sound resonating about us being the wind flowing up and down in cold wisps about the earth's break that lied before us. In several seconds of our silence, it soon apparently became a sign to Worm that we were taking a temporary pause for the cause. He chugged backwards the tiniest bit and looked ready to instantaneously ignore the whole world around him. "Yeaaah…I'm kinda tired. Sleepy-bye, nappy time!"

I spun around and opened my mouth, preparing to make a point, but JP beat me to the punch. "Well, I'm kinda tired of your attitude, Worm Boy!" _Worm Boy. Huh, definitely not your best, JP._ He turned away from the train, as if to say, 'Yeah, now what do you gotta say to that?!'

"Attitude-schmattitude. If there were tracks, I'd be more than happy to take you across—"

But by the time he'd cut his own voice off, we were already in a huddle, discussing what our next course of action would be. Worm had misinterpreted earlier; when we were in silence, we weren't just taking a pause for the cause as he thought. No, actually when we were quiet usually meant the gears were turning. And during those times when Takuya's gears were creaking into motion, that meant he was cooking up some sort of plan.

As the Warrior of Flame whispered to us what his little scheme was, he had what could only be described as the world's biggest grin on his face. And the rest of us were smiling as well, especially because of the implications of his idea. And meanwhile, Neemon, who was popping in and out of our circle, he kept blurting out things like, "Oooh, that's a good plan!" and "When are we getting this plan rolling?" and "What would _you_ do for a Klondike bar?"

Regardless of whatever statement he came out with, one of us would make a rather-irritated remark (or to the Klondike bar question, answer sincerely) and go on. We seemed to be making distinct progress, which was quite pleasing since that meant that the plan wasn't complete and total poppycock (never thought you'd hear me say that word, didjya?). And it was all in order for sure as soon as Takuya gave the final remarks, "So with that, any questions?"

"Just one," I answered with a smirk, raising a single finger in coordination with my response. "You're gonna let me finish my painting, right?"

To that, the gogglehead gave a short laugh, but didn't give me an answer either way, so I took that as him saying, 'Yeah, sure. Knock yourself out. 'Cept don't knock yourself out with paint fumes, though, because that could be problematic.' "Okay, guys! Let's get to it!" He brought up a single, clenched fist to the center of our circle, leading us to do the same in compliance.

"Yeah!"

And with laughter and smirks that clearly made Worm nervous we darted on past him. Takuya and I hopped into the cars, he to get some tools and I to get my spray paint. I had to gather up all of the cans that I had left scattered about, and by the time I had emerged, the other Warriors were already busy at work, prying the track off from behind Worm, much to the said Trailmon's franticness, "Hey hey hey! Hold on a sec! What are you doing?! If you tear up that rail, then how do I get back to Steel Town?!"

I snickered. It was pleasing to see him get his just desserts for being so rude to us before. And none of this would've been possible if Takuya hadn't remembered seeing some very helpful tools where the cleaning stuff was. And it was clear he was able to find it amidst the mess I had made and left behind in the closet, which probably was a miracle in and of itself.

I stood there watching as the first section of rail came loose and the guys walked past with it hoisted over their shoulders. Takuya was nothing but sheer delight as far as how his face was lit up. "We're gonna fix the track ahead, so you'll be able to go _that_ way! It's always good to go forward rather than back!" He gave Worm a thumbs-up, showing all of a sudden more cockiness and slight taunting than anything else. _That guy and his smugness…_

"And now you can't run away!" JP added, his bluntness making me laugh out loud. The contrast between his mocking and Takuya's came together to make an awesome duo that made Worm absolutely flabbergasted.

But then Koji spoke up with something unexpected, taunting, and overall just a little ridiculous, "Sit tight!"

I snorted, trying to hold back laughter, but it was no use. His voice when he said that—it was just…_ Oh God. _Whatever came _into_ his mind that made that come _out_ of his mouth clearly was lost in translation or something, but regardless, I couldn't stop laughing once I started. It was rare occasion, if ever, that I thought something he said was stupid, but boy, this was as close to stupid as he had ever come. "Hey, Koji!" I called in between laughter and lack of breath. "Just because of that, I'm never gonna take you seriously ever again!"

At this, the whole group of guys stopped and turned to look at me. Koji, for one, just narrowed his eyes and turned his head away with a distinct redness engulfing his face, but Takuya and JP didn't hesitate to laugh. After all, this was probably the first time I'd called the Warrior of Light out on something; I was usually quick to be on the dark-haired boy's defense, and now there he was, with a little blush on his frowny face and looking as adorable as hell. _Maybe I should publicly embarrass him more often…_

"Heh, carry on, guys, carry on!" I waved one hand to signify that I was done laughing at the poor boy, and once they continued walking (JP and Takuya not hesitating to tease my poor boy a little bit), I decided to begin my painting where I left off. I uncapped the darkest red and shook the can before beginning to spray down at the bottom. As I worked my way up Worm, I switched to progressively lighter reds, to oranges, and topped off with yellows.

Midway through my process I paused to see the rest of the Warriors' progress. Takuya was sitting on one of the rails and tying it to one of the new ones. When he finished with a big knot, he turned back to Zoe and called, "Okay, Zoe, next one!"

"You got it!" She threw another coil of rope to him with distinct precision and accuracy and smiled when he caught it with one hand without really extending his grasp. "Oh, Neemon…" She facepalmed as soon as she turned and saw the yellow rabbit all tied up in the rope (and he couldn't have looked happier about it, either).

I half-heartedly laughed at the Digimon's behavior, seeing him as the only one that didn't mature at all on our adventure but then suddenly wondering if all Neemon were like that and it just wasn't _possible_ for him to mature and that _maybe_ he was actually the wisest of his kind. For all I knew, he could've been the esteemed leader of a pack of wild, pants-wearing bunnies or a fierce warrior within their army who was feared for the strength of the Power of the Pants that he wielded, and when he came back from this journey, he'd be a hero among lemon-colored rabbits and they'd erect monuments in his honor and have holidays celebrated on his behalf.

…

…Or maybe not.

Shaking my head at my own mind wanderings, I put on the finishing touches on my graffiti art and looked at it with approval. I capped up the cans and gathered them all up to take them over to the other side. Beginning to walk over, going around the front of Worm, he began to talk to Takuya, causing me to stop and listen, along with the other Warriors who also gathered around. "Tell me, why you guys so hot to get to Beanstalk Village anyway?"

"We gotta save our other friends who were kidnapped by the Royal Knights," Takuya responded, a pang of guilt crossing over his face for the briefest of moments as he recalled their kidnapping inside of his eyes, but it was instantly concealed by a smile. "They were heading toward Beanstalk Village."

"And they have an even bigger task," Bokomon added on quickly, of course wanting to brag us up a bit as was protocol, "Saving the Digital World. Without the help of these brave humans, our world would already be gone."

Worm's expression didn't change in hearing Bokomon's words. While Bokomon was probably trying to induce some gratitude, that was probably the opposite of what Worm voiced. "What a useless cause." Instantly all of our lips pursed at his claim, waiting for support. "You can't fight that. Sooner or later those Royal Knights will turn everything into Data. Stuff's disappearing every day; the land I run on is starting to look like Swiss cheese. My friends…I tell ya, my boiler starts burning whenever I think of all my buddies that have gone down for the count. Let's face it, your friends have probably already been scanned; you might as well pack it in. You can't avoid the inevitable."

I bit my lip, listening to the silence roar. The truth in Worm's statement was blatant, and therefore hard to swallow. It was foreign to me to hear a good Digimon be unsupportive of our cause; I couldn't recall a time where a Digimon didn't show admiration for our goal, wish to assist, and believe in our abilities. Worm gave us that taste of reality; we were conscious of how extreme our aspirations were—of course it'd be difficult to save the Digital World; we were just seven kids against a realm of opposition. However, the joy that all of those encouraging Digimon that felt they knew in their hearts that because we were the Legendary Warriors we could save the world inevitably put rose-colored glasses over our eyes.

The reality was there now; Worm ripped off those glasses. Chances were we wouldn't save the Digital World. We were seven _kids_ standing in the face of Lucemon and his followers. Just because Ophanimon called us, declaring us right to be the saviors of this war-ridden world meant nothing when it came down to it. She couldn't predict the future—she merely took a gamble as she reached out to our world for help that the Digital World's inhabitants couldn't provide. Ever-so easily could Worm be right; the Digital World's destruction _could_ be unavoidable. It didn't have to be foreseen in legends to be a living possibility, and that was a concept I believed we'd forgotten.

The fact that we were the Legendary Warriors meant nothing when facing evil; it didn't mean we had certain victory. There were many times we'd almost fallen—some of us had almost _died_.

The word shook my inner core and my hands curled into fists. Death seemed surreal here; Digimon were turned to DigiEggs and reborn, but there was no telling whether or not that would happen to us. With Data being the heart of all existence here, there couldn't be a heaven or hell in this space—Data is just deleted or reconfigured when it reaches its end. Their circle of life was much more complex than ours; there was no rebirth and return to the life you once knew in ours. _When a human dies, we don't get another chance…_

"No!"

My mind's swirling thoughts came to a sudden stop as my face automatically turned to see Takuya's resolve firmly emblazoned within his eyes as he continued to work to repair the track. We watched in silence as he finished and stood upright, his gaze locked on the Trailmon who had such little faith in us. "I'm not ever going to give up." His voice was crisp, yet somehow at the same time possessed an intensity that seemed to shake the open air. "Tommy, Katsuharu, and the others are waiting for us to rescue them—I'm _not _going to let them _or_ the Digital World down! If we just keep believing in ourselves and moving forward, we will win! We carry with us the wishes and prayers of all of the Digimon who have been waiting for peace; quitting now would be letting them all down and betraying all of the promises we made! There's no way we can stop now, not with this much at stake! I don't want to see this world in pieces any longer—" His eyes adjusted, looking to each of the Warriors in turn, searching for a returned, unified glance. I made certain to give it back to him with a smile. "We'll do whatever it takes to save this world, right?"

"That's right!"

Before I knew what was going on entirely, Zoe had come forward, her eyes shining with agreement and sparkling with tears. She came to him and embraced him, **[A/N: C'mon, as if you didn't think she was gonna hug him in the actual ep]** his words rendering her with only a smile and little rivers flowing down her cheeks. She left Takuya with wide eyes and lacking words, but after a few moments, he eased and placed one hand on her head, a small act of comfort as he continued with a soft expression, "The Digital World is our second home, and the Digimon that live here are our friends. We can't let them down. If our world was in trouble, I know they would do everything in their power to help us. We've forged a bond that cannot be broken, and I'll fight to the very end to preserve it! We could've turned back and gone home, but we're still here, and that's to protect our home and our friends in it!

"We've all shed our share of blood, sweat, and tears…" His eyes flickered downward to the tear-stained girl who remained in a silent vigil as she watched him speak ever-so transcendently. "…and it's all been for a reason. We care about the Digital World and it'd be betrayal to watch it fall under Lucemon's control…" He paused and took a single, noticeable gulp as his irises grew deeper shades of spiraling brown. "Being here has taught me many things, and if there's one thing that rises above the others is this: Never give up fighting for the ones you love."

His breath stuttered slightly as he elaborated, his voice changing in a way I couldn't describe, "I had given up on the Digital World once. I went home. I felt so useless, so misguided; I ran everyone right into the face of battle with no chance of victory…But after I left, I wasn't myself. I couldn't shake the thoughts out of my head of the world I had left behind. I couldn't shake the thoughts of how I had hurt all my friends. I thought that maybe if I hadn't even gotten on the train, things would be better. But I couldn't run away from reality—I knew I was betraying the Digital World and my friends, and there was something that spoke from deep down that knew…that knew I just couldn't do that. I'm glad I came back—I don't know what would've become of me if I hadn't, and I know I wouldn't have stopped thinking about this world and regretting not coming back to save it. Even then, it meant more to me than I even realized, but… I'm sure we all can agree—" He looked at each of us one by one, sharing a smile. "—this really is a world worth fighting for."

We each gave a single nod of agreement; Zoe pulled away with tears lingering, but her smile overpowering them and her eyes speaking out as she back-stepped to stand beside me with rosy cheeks. While we couldn't grasp all of the personal experiences Takuya spoke of, his meaning brilliantly shone through in such a way that we could all put the pieces of our own experiences together to make a picture that carried ever-so much weight.

"It really means that much to you?" Worm questioned, a smile of his own beginning for form as his eyes began to exude an optimistic glow. "Are you serious; all that's the truth? If you guys really think you can save this world, then you guys have a lotta moxie. But how do you think you're gonna do it?"

The Warrior of Flame stepped forward in a quiet, even stride until he was looking almost straight up at the Trailmon, his eyes not once moving to the left or to the right. "I don't have a set plan yet, but I know for certain that if we humans join forces together with you Digimon, we can defeat Lucemon and restore this world to the way it once was." He grinned, the entire air about him igniting with positive energy. "Before you know it, you'll be with all your Trailmon buddies, racing around a Digital World that's in one piece again!"

Worm's face still managed to grow brighter, Takuya's sanguinity being contagious. "When you put it that way, well that sounds kind of great! Well, then I guess we better make tracks!"

"Now that is what we like to hear." I grinned as the others let out light-hearted cheers at Worm's compliance. I shook one of the spray paint cans, the rattle a pleasing sound. "Let's get finished then, guys! Beanstalk Village is waiting!" I received positive replies, and we went off to finish what we started.

"Yeeehaaaaw~!"

I facepalmed and shook my head. "'Yeehaw', Takuya?! '_Yeehaw'_?!" A groan escaped my lips as my hand dropped back to my side. I didn't wanna tell that goggle-headed idiot, but Worm catching air the way he was as he went off the tracks like a jump was really something I wanted to whoop about. As we all leaned out the open windows, the wind whipping all around us, it was really a great feeling to be going this fast. It truly felt like we were off to get something important accomplished.

To my complaint Takuya merely laughed as Worm dropped back onto the tracks with a reverberating thud. We closed the windows and decided we'd get to relax for the rest of the trip... Well, until the floor started moving from under us and balance suddenly became short of supply. Ups, downs, twists. I didn't anticipate this trip to be like a rollercoaster, but where in the hell were the seatbelts when they were needed the most?!

"This is why I didn't wanna go to Beanstalk Village!" Worm called back to us, sounding beyond irritated. "It's one of the roughest routes in the Digital World!" _And you didn't actually tell us this upfront for what reason?!_

Suddenly I became aware of spinning. Lots and lots of very dizzying spinning.

…Kinda like being flushed down the toilet.

"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!" I found grabbing onto things in the train's interior was inevitable; as soon as I'd gain a good hold, someone would bash into me and send us both into nonstop, circular tumbling all over again. This was about the time where I felt the puking urge to come on. "THIS IS WORSE THAN THE ROCKET!" _Apparently Fate wanted to us to live on our trip from the moon SO WE COULD DIE HERE AND IT COULD LAUGH IN OUR FACES! _

In the midst of all of the chaos, I caught glimpse of Patamon flying about with the biggest grin on his face and through the shouting he sounded as cheerful as could be, "Weeee~!"

"HOW IS THIS _FUN_?! THIS IS _NOT_ FUN! THIS IS _ANTI-_FUN!" Before I could finish a complaint, I had lost sight of the little flying pig and bashed my head on the floor. But before I could get settled, we went upside down again and I found myself with a face full of ceiling. And then some wall. And then some floor again.

Let's just say that I'd never heard my body crack that much.

"Why does it seem like Worm is speeding up?!" I couldn't determine whose voice that was, but I knew for certain I could definitely determine the truth in their words.

"MAYBE BECAUSE HE WANTS TO FREAKING _KILL_ US VIA BRAIN HEMRAGGES!?" I suggested not so light-heartedly, just about ready to open one of those windows again and jump the hell out of there before it was too late.

"Your optimism is great, thanks!" By this time, I was pretty sure the one I was talking to—rather, the one I was shouting at—was JP, based on all that sarcasm. But I was basically too disoriented for proper brain function (as if that wasn't an obvious statement).

"YOU'RE WELCOME!" _Yeah, it is definitely open-window time!_

All of this went on for a good twenty minutes. A good twenty minutes of being tossed around, banged up, and twisted about as if in a rock tumbler. And the noise. Anyone that wasn't busy screaming for dear life was screaming at me for my irrational (in my defense it seemed pretty rational to me at the time) griping that made this situation out to be as if the apocalypse itself was imminent (which it totally could've been). Yeah, okay so I was overreacting a little.

A _little_.

…Okay, a lot.

In the course of all of the yelling, swearing, and overall insanity of the entire happening, it suddenly mellowed out and amidst our pain-stricken moaning, Worm's voice came calling back to us, "It's pretty smooth from here on out." _Okay, so _now_ you tell us how the track conditions are?! _After_ that freaking deathtrap experience?!_

In jumbled masses about the floor, we sat limp with nothing but zombie-like groans in our company. After all of that hell, the innocent bumping along of the train went unnoticed, and for that reason, it seemed way too calm. Gathering up the bearings to lift my head, I saw that it looked completely calm outside, that same cursed blue sky and that same irritatingly-cheery sunshine beaming down at us as if we _hadn't_ just almost had our spines bent into pretzels and handed to us. Damn that nature and its blatant mockery…

"Does anyone else feel like they were turned into a balloon animal?" JP questioned, sounding like someone who had just got punched in the gut, keeled over, and then proceeded to get stepped on by someone wearing stilettos. But with the way everyone was being tossed around like a salad that may have been pretty close to the actuality, along with several other variations to the scenario.

"More like a balloon animal in a blender…" I grumbled, still eying up that window in case it turned out that the dumb train was lying, which really could have been a distinct possibility. So dragging my heavy-laden, moribund corpse out of the mangled heap that was called the Legendary Warriors (warriors wasn't really the most fitting word at current), I attempted with pinwheeling arms and wobbly legs to regain my center of balance. After being pretty sure that I had secured the firm stature that had tried its very best to evade me, I took a relieved breath and murmured to the others, "I'm going out to get some fresh air." _God-willing I get out that door alive first…_

And with that said, I went out the rear door. Just out the door and to the immediate left of it was a ladder going up to the roof of the train. I climbed up to the top and felt the gust of air hit me from the sheer velocity of the Trailmon. As I proceeded there were metal handles to which I grabbed onto for dear life, but the stupidity in me didn't think enough of it so apparently thought it'd be dumb to go back right away even as the wind tried to blow me clear off.

So I decided to think for a while. My mind was still awhirl, filled with everything that was said. Moreover, what Takuya had called the lesson that rose above all of the others. _Never give up fighting for the ones you love…_

_That's sort of the moral of this adventure, isn't it?_ I mused bittersweetly, not making a sound in regards to how droll that concept truly was. _That's why we're still here. Fighting. Fighting when we could be back in our own, peaceful world…_ I leaned my head back and shut my eyes, feeling the cold wind blow back my hair as the sun warmed my face. _…But to get this far, you have to first learn how to love…_

_Funny how this all works out. Even before I learned the definition to such a word, I was here willing to fight for this world._ My jaw tightened at the thought, knowing the opposite side to that coin. But that wasn't love. That was duty consumed by pride, that was craving for escape from the real world, that was my fear-driven act to be kept from being seen running away from something too big for me alone to handle. That was _anything_ but love.

It was those tastes of love and compassion that got me started. My team-up with Koji. The attempts the other Warriors made to be friendly. The constant affection that DemiVeemon displayed and offered up. I didn't understand at first why kindness was so important—I just deemed self-preservation and survival necessary, so I shoved any attempts at kind acts away. I didn't want to attach any strings because they'd only tangle me up, add on extra weight, lead to more and more chances at pain. I couldn't have it. _And I didn't want it._

But I needed an outlet. I was content with the loneliness that followed me; I gone about on my own enough to be used to carrying my own weight, but the Digital World was new and unfamiliar like a new chess rival full of unseen strategies. So I sought someone strong, level-headed—an expert in this new chess game, and with whom I could remain emotionally unattached. I knew that Koji had fit this bill in its entirety the moment I had met him.

Well…except for that last part.

The intentions of our initial cooperation were simple and unspoken: Watch the other's back. Needless to say, he had to watch my back way more than I had to watch his. He had the strength required to sustain. Live. Thrive. He would've survived with ease even if I hadn't been around; he was a natural-born fighter. It was as if he had been custom-made by God to come to the Digital World and fight. With his abilities, that wouldn't have surprised me. At times it seemed that he merely let me stick around to serve as a source of amusement as I fumbled around trying to do the most basic of tasks.

Regardless of his reasoning, it wasn't very long before I had gone against my own judgment and forged a bond with him. Uncontrollably so, I found myself confiding, sharing, and opening up before him, eagerly waiting for him to do the very same. None of the others induced such a reaction out of me; I pushed them away because they weren't like me—I felt they wouldn't have understood. Koji was a loner like me; we shared similar values and opinions, which is why I was reluctant to cross swords with him—perchance I lose the connection. I let him in because I knew he'd see himself confined under the layers of masks and ice. I had found the one person who had a chance of understanding the pain I had hidden under an ugly scab.

I could only grasp so much of this concept. There was too much to explain to myself what had all made me learn that lesson Takuya knew as well as I. A part of me wished to believe it was triggered by my experiences in Sakkakumon, but truly I knew it had begun much earlier than that. My lies were dispersing and my walls crumbling. My anger was fighting a losing battle. My friends were the reason for this—they grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me away from my demons. They never gave up on me, always having faith for a brighter future.

A wave of instant, immeasurable gratitude instantly washed over me, and I felt myself smiling. _The friendship of the Warriors is gonna last a long, long time…_ I opened my eyes and looked up to the sky, getting the strange feeling that the bright blue eyes of AncientZeitmon were gazing down upon me. And she wasn't alone, either. _…Just as it's lived on from long, long ago…_

Wetting my lips and allowing my breath to flow freely in and out before I began with a melody inside my mind, "I was never right for the hero type of role, I admit it. With my heart shivering in fear, I can see today's reflected in each past tear.

"Even so…It has been calling the heavens to me, but I cannot hide all the emptiness inside. My fleeting heart…

"Once in my dreams I rose and soared. No matter how I'm knocked around or beaten down, I will stand up restored.

"All of my love has yet to wake. I know your strength is what I lack; you've got my back and know that I've got yours.

"I have you to thank for lighting up the dark…

"Because you're here with me our dreams will soar free forever." I felt something inside me lurch and I inhaled, collecting myself before analyzing the new sensation. _Is this what it feels like to truly be voicing the feelings from the heart…?_

A final breath allowed me to continue where I had left off, "I could never find light to guide me through the night and with one touch, I'd recall every memory all too precious to not hold them all close to me.

"It's tempting… to close your eyes and turn from the world, but it's bittersweet like you've somehow missed a beat with no restart…

"When every wish has overlapped you'll realize if you carry on with every dawn your hesitation fades.

"All of your scars will disappear. I will become your sword and shield. This crossing field's the path that we select.

"The promise we made will last for all our days. If it's our bonds we'll live by I will put my faith in you…"

I took a breath, growing in volume from a small whisper till my voice ripped up my throat as each word progressed, "I only need one miracle. Can you not hear me call at all? Until that day I'll keep screaming your name!

"Once in my dreams I rose and soared. No matter how I'm knocked around or beaten down, I will stand up restored.

"All of my love has yet to wake. I know your strength is what I lack; you've got my back and know that I've got yours.

"I have you to thank for lighting up the dark…

"Because you're here with me our dreams will soar free forever…"

When my lips again pursed, I wiped the wetness out of my eyes. _Stupid cold wind is making my eyes water…_ With my vision cleared, I looked ahead. We were quickly approaching a mountain with the tracks leading through a tunnel at its base and the tall beanstalk that once reached to the sky had disappeared from view. I crawled forward on the car to the front end and called to the Trailmon, "Hey, Worm! How far do we have yet?"

"Beanstalk Village is just on the other side of this mountain," he answered back. "It'll get pretty dark pretty quickly since the tunnel isn't lighted, so you might consider going back to your friends."

I shook my head, even though I knew he wouldn't see the motion, and my eyes set hard on the mountain as it quickly approached to engulf us. "Nah," I responded quickly, pulling out my D-Tector with a wry grin. As we entered the tunnel, I could see the device in my hand glinting. _All right. Time to kick some Royal Knight ass._ Rising to my feet, I flicked my hand and the copper ring of sparking Data appeared, set aglow in the darkness. The sparking turned into showers as I swiped the scanner of my Digivice across. "Execute! Polymerization Spirit Evolution!" I felt the essence of my Spirit engulf me, inside and out, and her physical and mental power setting into my skin. "Ryoushinmon!"

As the Evolution finished, I caught sight of the light of the outside world as a mere dot in the distance that I most undoubtedly wouldn't have seen if I was my human self. _That's right. My senses are heightened in my Spirit form…_ I instantly closed my eyes and listened, through the sounds of Worm pattering on the tracks, through the sounds of the other Warriors conversing in the car below me, out of the tunnel, and to the oncoming village.

"_No, let him go!"_

"_Katsuharu!"_

"_Now let us test this theory… When the Data is scanned, does a human turn into a DigiEgg…or eternally perish?"_

My eyes snapped open and I jumped upon Worm, telling the Trailmon as soon as I set my feet on his backside. "Worm, you have to go faster, otherwise we might not make it in time!" I went into a crouch, my fingers momentarily touching the sword at my side.

"I'm already at my top speed. There ain't no going faster," he countered, his response doing nothing but aggravating me.

I furrowed my brows, fearing the worst. "You're gonna have to." I curled my fingers into a fist and pressed it to my chest, bowing my head and praying to any god that came to my mind, hoping that maybe one of them would listen. _Please be all right…_

We sped out of the tunnel, the light of day flashing bright all around us. With a split-second's pause, my eyes adjusted and instantly saw the tall beanstalk and just beside its base, the ones we were looking for. I felt my face contort as my gaze focused on Crusadermon, who had her long fingers wrapped around Katsuharu's neck as his Data revolved around his battered form. I could make out how his face was twisted about, his mouth ajar, and that was _enough_.

I sprung from the train and pulled back my fist. In range, I slammed it into Crusadermon's face and used that moment to snatch up the boy into my arms. Crusadermon cursed at me, but before she could pursue me for revenge, the other Warriors had arrived on the scene, D-Tectors in their hands in the ready. "Oh, so you've come to save your little friends. How quaint." The pink Royal Knight, her voice entirely calm, placed one hand on her slanting hip, an entirely casual and confident pose one would see on a teenage girl.

Frowning but saying nothing to her little taunt, I averted my gaze down to Katsuharu as I set him on the ground, his dark brown eyes wild with every emotion possible as he teetered slightly, trying to get his center of balance. His neck was bruised from Crusadermon's suffocating grasp and his breath was escaping in short gasps. "Are you all right?" I questioned, even though he looked as if he were the opposite of all right. I wasn't even certain he'd heard me with how dazed he appeared.

His eyes widened, as if he suddenly recognized my voice and realized it was me under all of the armor. "Y-yeah…" he stammered after a long pause, his voice raw and uneven as he strived for each word. "You…you saved me?"

"Trust me, I ain't happy about it either." I put on a light smirk for him, which caused a weak smile to appear on his pinked face.

"You children will be ever-so sorry when you learn the consequences of disrupting us. You will see the result of our beautiful strength as it sends you to your _beautiful_ graves." Crusadermon's threat beckoned me to join the other Warriors, poised and ready as Takuya and Koji Unified Spirit Evolved to EmperorGreymon and MagnaGarurumon. _She really needs to stop saying 'beautiful'. Just because the word is said, doesn't make the speaker so._

Dynasmon held amusement within his eyes. "You insist on playing this game with us? So be it; we will show you no mercy." He held out his hands, the gem embedded within them glowing. "Dragon's Roar!" Orange flames taking the life of dragons materializing as the attack's head, it burst forth with a scorching intensity.

EmperorGreymon cast me a look before he and MagnaGarurumon leapt forth. I knew the look well; it was a tell that I could easily interpret. "Fortified Continuum!" I placed up a force field and prevented the attack from hitting my friends and all of the Digimon. Through the barrier that separated Dynasmon's force from me, I could still feel its heat and sheer power pushing me back. _Could we really be this outmatched? We're even outnumbering them…_

"You really think you're achieving something, don't you, honey?" Without warning, Crusadermon moved with unmatched speed at my force field. My eyes could barely keep up with her fast-moving form, but that didn't matter, because there was nothing I could do to defend myself. "Fist of Athena!" With her hand withdrawn into the shield covering her arm, she struck my barrier and shattered it, cackling as countless shards rained down. "Now let's see just what you really can do!"

Before I could even draw my sword, she was close—far too close for any defense—and about to strike when a shot came and hit her, knocking her out of position and allowing me to move out of my place of weakness. I went to MagnaGarurumon, whose gun was still smoking from the barrel as I arrived. "Thanks," I murmured, but then lunged forward, my sword drawn upon instinct. I came upon the female Royal Knight, arm pulled back and about to strike.

I jousted the blade forth and it instantly clanged with hers, which she pulled from the golden ribbons about her back. Her head twisted around, having not even been looking at me at the moment of our connection, and if her face would've been able to hold expression, I was certain she would've been smugly beaming. "It amuses me how you insist you have power." My blade trembled in my grasp as I tried to hold back from her opposing force. She had no problem in the manner, looking composed in how she held herself.

"Well, you're not exactly getting past me now, are you?" I countered, trying not to let my confidence rise or my weakness show. A level head was imperative, I knew, because any single weakness—whether physical or mental—would give her an opening. I tightened my stance, pulling my jaws together.

She gave a half-laugh, this sound that seemed only slightly amused as if she had missed my words entirely and was just going through the motions. "You're a snarky child, aren't you? Allow my beautiful charisma to humble you. Spiral Masquerade!" Her ribbons became like blades and moved with precision as they struck my armor and exposed skin. She cackled as I took a staggered step backwards, lowering my guard, and a blade sliced against my cheek. "Fist of Athena!"

The force of her attack to my chest winded me and sent me crashing to the ground, my sword skittering away from my grasp. My mind was in a whirl behind my eyes and I grasped at my throbbing chest._ What the hell is up with these two? _My gaze flickered over to EmperorGreymon and MagnaGarurumon, who were both fighting against Dynasmon and visibly struggling, but then transferred my attention back to my current opponent.

She took a single step forward, her gait like the catwalk. "Why must you look at me like that? I don't need to see your eyes to sense the hate in them. But then again…" She turned her head, seeming to look off absentmindedly. "…from what I've heard, they're always filled with hate. But I should have a look to confirm this theory…" She grew closer, reaching out one hand and readying another Spiral Masquerade, her voice devious. "Don't try to struggle or this may hurt more than necessary…"

An alarm went off in my head; these were eyes that could not be seen. I tried to get to my feet only to be slammed back down by the ribbons about her shoulders. She stepped down on my abdomen with one foot, leaning forward to stare me down. "They say there's a reason why the Child of Time and Space does not reveal her eyes," she began lightly, an inner venom in her tone subtle. "It's a beautiful story if you look at it from the proper perspective…" My lips pursed and I tried not to reveal my trepidation. "It's told that the Child was a corrupt warrior, nothing of her creators Time and Space. Amidst warlike conflict with the Ancient Warriors, she was blinded by Flame's ash and was left to roam the Digital World. Light saw her struggles and had compassion on her, and his mercy changed her heart." She reached down and wrapped her fingers around the front of the plate concealing my eyes. "But despite her changes, the other Warriors wouldn't accept her. Light slipped away from her and she suffered alone until she breathed her last."

As she told the tale, my lips remained firm and my mind restless, knowing exactly why she was explaining all of this to me. When she had finished, my words came out as a solemn mutter that I knew for certain that she could hear, "You're _sick_."

I could feel her fingers pressing into my skin, preparing to rip the plate from my Spirit's face. She merely cackled at my words, hardly bothering to conceal the lightness she took from what came from my lips. "And you are nothing but a fool," she returned simply, as if that was an obvious fact that I indeed was too bullheaded to realize. "You must always remember that history repeats itself without fail. Remember and _accept_ it."

My mind protested; I knew what my Digimon instinct was telling me—I could read the words as if they were written in ink and their meaning clear as glass. I turned my palms upward, my gaze remaining on Crusadermon as she continued to taunt me. I couldn't hear her words; my psyche's voice was speaking too loud and only louder as she forced her fingers under the plate and grew closer to tearing from before my eyes. _Go away. You can't. I won't let you. _

_You'll have to kill me first._

The raw energy manifested on each of my palms. I felt the sizzle of each and I let them grow, grow until I could wait no longer, until they burned my hands like the scalding of the hottest water. I felt the plate moving like one trying to remove a fresh band-aid and it was the moment that I could no longer withhold from. "Manifold Cataclysm!" A cry ripped up my windpipe and I didn't have to pull the two orbs in my hands together; for they swelled and developed with such immensity that they collided by their own will.

And the destruction was imminent. Crusadermon was thrust back into the trunk of the beanstalk; the ground trembled, a giant waking from slumber, and its surface fissured with deafening cracks and booms. I felt the attack's intensity blister my skin, but it didn't compare to the overwhelming adrenaline pumping through my veins. _So this is the magnitude of my Polymerization Spirit's power…_ In the epicenter of the ongoing destruction, I rose to my feet. A voice seemed to borrow my mouth, speaking with meanings I couldn't fully comprehend, "You surmise justice is death?! One life is not equivalent to another in every shape and form, of every time and space! One's heart is unseen, but its weight is witnessed all around! Touch these lives and meet the force of each heart—force that will deliver _your_ justice!"

The voice that had spoken told me to step forward, and I complied, having a distinct feeling that if I didn't, it would take complete control of me. "You call me blind and full of hate…" My voice adjoined, a synchrony of words that I couldn't pull the root from. "…but how must you be if you wish to destroy each and every life here? _You_ must be blind if you care so little as to destroy this place. How does your hate rage like an inferno in such intensity that death is the only fair dealing in your sight?" I picked up my sword and broke through the fading effects of the Manifold Cataclysm, nearing Crusadermon, who was poising to reenter battle with me. "You're corrupt. You kill anything that obstructs your goals in the slightest. The Royal Knights once were noble Digimon who fought for true justice; your justice is what crushes the word's true meaning."

Her uncontrolled laughter echoed within my eardrums. Her laughter said everything; this was all but a joke to her, my values were of no weight, and things were about to get more interesting. "Ailing yourself for the weak is what you are claiming is righteous. However the weak open up your own flaws; one cannot survive in such a world with flaws. This is Lord Lucemon's philosophy. If there are none that are weak, there will be no flaws; however, every creature here has flaws, which is why our lord must start anew." She tossed her head aside and hissed, "Witness…"

She extended a ribbon and entangled Koichi, drawing him close to her. Instantly I felt my being stiffen as I heard Koji's voice hit panicked notes the moment that his twin cried out, "Koichi!"

Crusadermon chortled, pleased with this development. "These are the flaws of which are drawn out due to the weak. You wish not to hurt the defenseless human, thus you as well are rendered defenseless. How beautiful is this personified fear within you." In turn, she looked to each of us—MagnaGarurumon, EmperorGreymon, and I—and basked in our immobile states with pure gratification. "I do hope there is a lesson you are learning amidst all of this… Now, will you challenge me or stand powerless as you pray I will not end the boy?"

"Please, do not hurt the boy! I will tell you where the key is located!"

My eyes darted over to the elder of the Digimon who were being loaded into the Trailmon—Mamemon I recalled—who stepped forward. He looked like all of his kind, a round, metal body with gloved arms and boots extending from it, but he was beat up and using a staff to hold himself up. I could see the weariness upon his form and tell that his bruises were fresh as he approached, drawing the Royal Knights' upmost attention. The world was silent for him, awaiting the unveiling of this secret. He had this distant look upon his face, like he was peering beyond all of this into some place that was much more tranquil and was patiently waiting for his arrival. "Please release the boy; he has not harmed you. And then I shall tell you of the key's place of rest."

Crusadermon released Koichi and then seized up Mamemon in his place. "Tell us! Where is the key?!" She tightened the grasp of her ribbons around him, causing him to cry out in agony and the rest of us to give an involuntary cringe.

He grunted as he tried to pull out his voice through the pain, seizing up the strength to face up at his captor. "You will find the key you seek at the very top of the beanstalk; it is a golden pod, and when you take it, the lock will be undone." Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes as he recited, "Once the key is found, the land will once again sleep peacefully…"

"Perfect." Dynasmon's eyes gained a satisfied glint as he took to the air with his powerful wings. "But first, you can have this! Dragon's Roar!" Laughing, he held his palms down to us and released a widespread inferno. _Even if he gets the Fractal Code, he wants to still do as much damage to us and the land as possible…_

Crusadermon joined in on his laughter as she cast the elder Mamemon to the ground and joined her fellow Knight in the air. I put up once again another Fortified Continuum upon EmperorGreymon's command, giving the Warriors time to get on Worm safely as the Data of the land took on its multiple colors. EmperorGreymon, MagnaGarurumon, and I jumped on the Trailmon as he passed by, and from there it was a race against time to get to safe ground.

We De-Spirit Evolved when we had gotten to where the area ended, and we all came together to see what had been lost. Stretched out for miles before us was nothing but emptiness, emptiness much like what we had seen on the way to Beanstalk Village within the crevice, but this was different. There was much more. It was so empty and somehow so much colder. The Royal Knights were nowhere in sight, long gone with their mission to take the area complete. Seeing the lost expressions of the Mamemon's faces made it all ever-so much worse; they no longer had a home to go to. And who knew where they could possibly go that would last against Lucemon's destruction?

"It's sad," the elder noted, his gaze not for one second leaving the emptiness that now took the place of where he'd once called home. There was something equally empty within his voice. "Katsuharu, now you and your friends must leave this world."

The addressed boy came forward at his words, his face full of protest. "Not without taking you Mamemon! We'll find you a place to live." There was an unusual passion written within his eyes; what it spurred from, I didn't know, but it caused a fierce drive that penetrated with each word. "You're our friends—we're not leaving you behind!"

The elder turned and joined with his clan as the head, a tell that he was speaking for each and every one of them. "We will not leave the Digital World; this place is our home. Our village may be destroyed, but we can always find another place to build. But to lose dear friends like you, that would truly be a tragedy." He held out one gloved hand, uncurling his fist and revealing a single, golden bean. "We can always plant another bean, and nurture its possibilities. Who knows, this one might even grow as big as the one you planted for us, Katsuharu."

_Hope. That's what you guys need,_ I thought with a small smile. _And that's exactly what you have…_

* * *

"So why are all of you staying here?" Chiaki questioned, her fingers lightly touching the open door leading into the train car. She seemed to be eager to get on and continue the life that she had put on pause since coming to the Digital World. "This is your chance to go back home."

Takuya seemed rather proud of himself with his response, putting on a cool pose and rather confident (maybe over-confident is a better word) face, "We still have a lotta things we gotta take care of here. It'll be our turn to take the train home once we save this world and restore peace."

Teppei outspread his arms, his voice lighthearted as he suggested, "Hey, Tommy, why don't you come back with us?" Just by the smile on his face, it was amazing to see how the bespectacled boy had changed ever since we'd become acquainted…a whole…several hours ago. **[A/N: Totally just dawned on me that 40 & 41 take place in the same day. That is a **_**lot**_** of character development for one day.]** His eyes shined with enthusiasm and touches of true friendship.

The Warrior of Ice shook his head at the request, a smile on his face all the while. "I wanna stay right here to help save this place. We have lots of Digimon friends just like you do and there's no way that we're letting them down!" At his words, I couldn't help but see how similar to Takuya he was becoming; those were truly words that seemed to be right from the brown-eyed teen's mouth. _No wonder Takuya ripped himself apart inside when Tommy was taken; they really are like brothers…_

"We're counting on ya." Katsuharu grinned at the youngest boy and offered him a small punch to the shoulder, which seemed to me to be much more symbolic than he even realized. At first he was a bully; he took pleasure in seeing Tommy's pain and would punch him for real. Now he was a caring boy, someone giving a playful punch to the very one of whom he enjoyed seeing endlessly tormented. _That's slightly admirable how he actually has the guts to be a friend to the boy whose life he once made hell… And Tommy, having that much room in his heart to forgive him and accept the friendship… Wow, someone should write a book or make a show about this…_

"Ha, would you look at that. Katsuharu actually isn't a horrible guy," I noted extra-loudly, making sure to add a bit of taunt into my voice. "Ya know, under all that jerkiness and stuff."

The sandy-haired teen turned, about to head into the Trailmon with his friends before he stopped when he heard my words. He turned his face and locked eyes with me, matching my smirk curve for curve. He took a step back in our direction and retorted back in what seemed to be his way of talking smoothly, "Oh yeah, can't leave without this."

And shamelessly gave me a kiss.

Needless to say, while I stood there with wide eyes and ignited face, unsure exactly how to proceed, Koji basically looked like Death itself had manifested on his face. I was pretty sure that Takuya was holding him back from killing the guy. Yeah, okay, I would've been touched by Koji's protectiveness if I wasn't too busy trying to figure exactly _why_ the hell the guy had kissed me. _Somewhere along the line did I actually give him the a-okay? Because I do _not_ remember that. Maybe it was the punch to the face._

As Katsuharu just gave a laugh and turned back to the train, Tommy, joining in on the laughter, came up quick. "And _you_ can't leave without _this_!" And gave him a playful push onto the train.

The doors slammed shut, and Worm called out as smoke came from the stacks, "Woo woo~! The earthbound express is hittin' the rails! And man is he lookin' good with the new paintjob!" _Haha so do I say thanks or you're welcome?_ He began to chug forward, blowing a whistle as he departed the station. The other kids opened up the windows and called back to us their goodbyes, causing the Warriors to run ahead and wave and call back to them.

I wasn't quite ready for movement yet so soon after…uh, that. But shoving one hand into my pocket and giving a big grin, I threw up one hand to wave to them. _See ya guys soon…_


	44. Chapter 42

**A/N: Gomen for the long wait! This chapter took much longer than I thought it would (I was sorta busy reliving my childhood by rewatching the older Pokemon movies). I was really focusing on the details and the symbolism of this episode because there's just so much in here. Plus I tried to diverge from the actual episode so it wasn't just a mere rewriting of canon, so I tried to change some dialogue and the flow of events. Also the first battle scene with the Royal Knights took a lot of time because it had to be very carefully planned. I didn't want it to turn out the same as the other battles with them because there's so much going on that's different than the other chapters. I wanted to portray Mirai's mental development with how her new thoughts drove her and the flow of battle.**

**Speaking of symbolism and stuff, this chapter is chocked full of it when it comes to the songs in here. I really wanted to show how Mirai doesn't just sing for herself to express her own feelings anymore; just another mental development on her part. I hope that comes across.**

**And also speaking of development, I gave some good focus on Zoe! :) I feel like I don't give her enough attention, despite how much of an awesome character she is in this series (actually, even the anime itself doesn't seem to give her enough attention...). So since this episode seemed to focus on her a little bit more than usual, I tried to give a little insight into her past. What little info I give is in no way canon, but I thought it'd fit, so I decided to throw it in.**

**Oh yes, there's a little bit of German in here due to Angler the Trailmon. For the phrase "mach schnell", when I looked it up I saw mach was also spelled macht. I'm by no means a German scholar here, so please don't be offended if I use the wrong mach/macht. Gomen in advance if I screw it up.**

**Oh by the way! I was hoping to change the summary of this fic so it sounded better, so if anyone has any ideas, suggestions would be greatly appreciated! As of now I have no ideas so I'd be grateful for the help. :3**

**Haha fun fact, as I was looking up some info from my older chapters, I happened to reread chapter 23. Oh gosh, Mirai is NUTS in that one and such an obnoxious snot. XD I kinda miss that Mirai... She had the most unique dialogue and her conversations with Koji were so discombobulated. XD**

**And now, it's the chapter you've all been waiting for! The chapter where the one, the only-**

**Eh, see for yourself. Please enjoy Chapter 42 because it gave me hell for a good while by being difficult and while it wasn't torturing me, was actually super fun to write! **

**R&R please, my lovely readers! :)**

* * *

Chapter 42

My fingers grasped at the windowpane, watching my reflection staring back at me through the glass, violet eyes distraught and face empty of expression. The image mimicked me as I bit my lip, looking past her into the world passing us by as we bounced along in a Trailmon. Or at least, the lack of the world passing us by. I felt a weird pang that resonated through my entire chest cavity and ricocheted up into my mind, filling me with this sensation that everything was just a mere fantasy—that this wasn't a world in pain, at the brink of disappearance, or being tormented by an evil from centuries ago. But as much as the feeling tried to convince me and how much I prayed for such a thing, I knew that the bleak sight out of my window was nothing but the cold, hard truth.

The most frustrating thing was how hard it was to face defeat each and every time. This seemed like nothing more than a daily outing to the Royal Knights; they just came, faced us, _defeated_ us, stole the land's Fractal Code, and left. It was becoming so routine that it seemed even our glum mood that filled the train car as we hightailed it to the next place was beginning to feel much too familiar. I was even beginning to recognize the defeated tones of the other Warriors, how they tried to cope and comfort each other in their own, personal manners, but I hated it.

I _hated_ it.

_We shouldn't be used to this. We should be at least keeping an even score. Our battles have been running on cliché…_ I pulled my fingers from the window's frame and turned away, unable to look at the outside world any longer. It hurt too much. But the thing was, I couldn't determine what hurt the most. Thinking about all of the land lost and all of the Digimon who were now homeless or my pride. _How much meaning do my words have when I try to renew the faith of the Digimon here when we keep on losing? It's so hypocritical…_ I put my face into my hand, releasing a sigh in the process. Thinking about this definitely wasn't helping anything, especially my mood.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

I didn't look at him, knowing he was watching me. I could feel how close he was, and I knew he wanted me to talk. It wasn't as though I was hiding my feelings any; anyone probably would've been able to see I was plainly exhibiting my exasperation. "Not especially," I murmured back, reaching with one hand to grab hold of the tiniest amount of his sleeve. "After all, I think my attitude is kinda the common consensus here."

"All right." At how quickly he conceded, I stole a slightly perplexed glance at his face. His blue eyes had averted from me and he laid his focus on his older brother. As they eyed each other, their expressions matched curve for curve, emotion for emotion. With how long and how stoic both of them were, something told me that they were conscious of what the other was thinking and that they were linked in this mental sort of way.

"So what are we gonna do about the Royal Knights?" JP questioned, asking the commonly-thought question and looking to each of us in turn, but his expression remaining stagnant as he did so. "We can't beat them." A few voices agreed and sat in silence until someone actually had an answer.

That someone was Takuya. It was clear by his facial expression that he knew this would come up sooner or later, and as he rose to his feet, I knew he had words in the ready. "Hey, how can you even say that?!" His eyes were fierce and agitated, revealing he too possessed those feelings he was fighting against. "We have to find a way to beat them!" He turned his face away, surprising me that he didn't have any more to say on the matter before he muttered, "…no matter what."

We all sunk back into a gloomy silence. Being pessimistic about this whole situation could only lead to problems with our morale and as a direct result, our chances of victory, but it was difficult to keep our chins up when our own memories were fighting against us. During our encounters, not once had we even stood a ghost of a chance against them; they fought as if they were merely playing with us out of amusement or if we were just annoying like mosquitoes.

My mind kept flashing back to our last encounter, my confrontation with Crusadermon. Her words rang clear within my mind, "_Light slipped away from her and she suffered alone until she breathed her last…_" and I knew what she was implying. She wasn't telling my fortune as much as implying my fortune. She didn't say how any of this would occur, but how she retold the story provided me with that feeling she would make the repeating of history inevitable. _Is this a threat? Is she going to try to pull us apart? Destroy us all, one by one?_

I dropped my face into my hands and shook my head, trying to knock these fears out, but knowing they weren't gonna leave. My fingers curled around the curves of my face and it was at that second that I realized that they were trembling uncontrollably. And once the realization hit me, it only took a few short moments for the shaking to move up my arms and fill me entirely. Images filling my head, images of Crusadermon overshadowing me, her fingers wrapped around a mask somehow present on my true self. Ryoushinmon's mask, the mask that shouldn't be removed by evil means, the mask that covered eyes to remain unseen. The pain was there, the pain as she chanted over and over, "_Suffer alone…Suffer alone…_" _No,_ I protested, puncturing my lip with my teeth, _I will not let this break me…_

"C'mon, guys." Zoe's voice pulled me out of my self-embodied struggle; I could hear the hints of doubt lingering, but it didn't surprise me that she of all people would conflict against invading notions and those we possessed to try to lighten the mood. Between her and Takuya, they were the very best at lifting spirits. "Negativity isn't going to help us here." Her tone lifted my face; she was standing and looking at each and every one of the Warriors, her eyes entirely consumed with a resolve that seemed to have risen from the depths. "We've never given up before and now isn't a good time to start." Placing her hands on her hips, she waiting for a response from us that just didn't come.

As her expression seemed to drop further and further, I felt a growing feeling of sympathy begin to emanate from my chest. She didn't look like she knew what to do now, standing there and looking so lost. I'm not sure where the feeling came from, but something desiring to keep her out of that uncertain feeling brought me to open my lips and sing, "One last hour before this place is on fire. Losing all as the flames grow higher and higher. Here I stand…"

I knew they were all watching me now, listening in silence, but I didn't lift my face, "The further I'm from you, the harder I try to exist…_Take these blinds from my eyes and wake me from the inside…_ Somebody tell me how did it come to this? _…Take these blinds from my eyes and wake me from the inside…_

"This last hour, the night dropped into the sea. The light spread wider, the sky broke open and free. Here I stand…

"The further I'm from you, the harder I try to exist… _Take these blinds from my eyes and wake me from the inside…_ Somebody tell me how did it come to this? _…Take these blinds from my eyes and wake me, wake me from the inside…_

"Further out, maybe you could meet me where I am. And further out, I know there is hope within your hands…within your hands, within your hands…

"The further I'm from you, the harder I try to exist…_ Take these blinds from my eyes and wake me from the inside…_ Somebody tell me how did it come to this? _…Take these blinds from my eyes and wake me from the inside…_ The further I'm from you, the harder I try to exist… _Take these blinds from my eyes and wake me from the inside…_ Somebody tell me how did it come to this? _…Take these blinds from my eyes and wake me, wake me from the inside…_"

There was a momentary soundlessness as I lifted my face, but it was broken by JP's incredulity, "So what was that for?" His face was unreadable and I couldn't tell what sort of answer he was expecting to receive from me. Looking about, I saw that my other friends' faces were like that as well.

I felt my face flush as I responded, "It always makes me feel better, and I thought it'd help with…you know, this melancholy mood everyone has…" I twiddled my fingers, dropping my eyes back down. _I never should've done that… They're all staring at me like I'm nuts…_ I mentally facepalmed for my own stupidity. _Even though it helped my mood, I really didn't want to have the sour mood replaced by complete and utter embarrassment… _"…Never mind. Forget it."

"Why?" Tommy retaliated, perking me up enough to look to him and see the immaculate nature contained within him. "It was really nice. Right, guys?" He looked about at the others and that led me to do the same, basically afraid if there was gonna be any more responses to that. I just wanted this to be over with already; with each and every passing moment, I could feel the temperature of my face constantly rising higher and higher. It was only a matter of time when the dilated veins were going to explode.

And just in the nick of time, Bokomon became my saving grace by clearing his throat quite assertively. "In case you're interested," he began, drawing our attention over to him and the impending doom hanging over his head (aka Neemon, who was about to fall from the above luggage rack), "the Village of Beginnings should be just up ahead."

This became the center focus of all of us—_thank God_; the possibility of a village that hasn't yet been scanned by the Knights. The Warrior of Flame perked up at its mention. "Well, the name's interesting," he noted, just as Neemon dropped with a yelp and landed square on his fellow Digimon's head. "Sounds like it's quite the tourist attraction." The moment that he said that, he received some pretty strange looks from the rest of us, but he just continued on. "Are there any good points of interest?"

"There's a big sparkly tree!" Neemon answered enthusiastically, grinning from his place atop his much smarter buddy. "It's the place where all Digimon are born!"

Zoe took the thoughts right out of my mind. "Does that mean the eggs all of the purified Digimon we've scanned go there?" _We've seen the DigiEggs float away after we take away the bad Data, so there's gotta be a place where they all go. So this Village of Beginnings must be that place. Hopefully it's still there; otherwise, all those DigiEggs could all be destroyed…So many lives would be lost and there'd be no one left to live here even if we _do_ save the Digital World…_

A realization suddenly dawned on me and I felt my eyes involuntarily widen. _Wait, if all eggs come here, then…!_ My heart gave an involuntary lurch and I clenched my fists. My gaze darted over to Koji, and it seemed as though he had the same revelation that I had at the exact same moment. "Then we should go there," I stated, drawing the eyes of everyone around me once again, which I really wasn't ready for. The moment I thought my blush was gone, it was back again. "With all of those Digimon, there's a strong chance that it's potentially the Royal Knights' next target." _The death ends here. I won't let them take this place in case that…_ I stopped myself. _No, that can't be the only reason why I fight. I'll fight for all of the Digimon, not just for a shot in the dark…_

"Woooo~! Yeah!" Franklin, the Trailmon that we were currently riding, didn't bother keeping it down as he hollered out just about anything that came to his brain. And just as I felt the slant of us going downhill, he went, "Woo, that's a lot steeper than I remember. I think I can, I think I can, blah, blah, blah…" _Yeah, um…all right then. He's definitely one of the weirder of these crazy trains. But then again, we have yet to meet one that's actually normal…_

I felt the ups and downs of several hills, but then heard the screeching of Franklin's wheels which were in a high need of being oiled. That signified to me we had pulled into the station, along with his voice calling back to us in such a way that he actually sounded pretty cheerful, "Here we are! Village of Beginnings! Now get out and get lost!" _Well since you asked us so _nicely_…_

We all piled out of the train and he was quick to speed away, just in case we conveniently decided that we didn't wanna get off here and so decided to get back on to bother him some more. The others said goodbye and thanked him regardless, but I was too busy gazing at the tree that was currently sparkling in countless colors like a strobe light. It was simply entrancing; it was a tall oak tree, taller than any tree I'd ever seen in the real world, and it sparkled with sheer brilliance every color in the spectrum. Below it were bushes that shone with the same hues and seemed to have large berries or something growing on them. The sight alone had my mouth agape. "…Whoa."

After the others had turned from the tracks where the Trailmon had disappeared from sight, they too saw the splendor of the Village of Beginnings. I watched as Takuya's face entirely lit up and he gasped, "Wow, what a beautiful place to be born…" But then he made a face and corrected himself by awkwardly adding, "…Er, _re_born?…Uh, hatched?…Uh, yeah, whatever."

"Indeed," Bokomon agreed, passing over the brunette's constant corrections with no regard. "It's the only place for Digimon. This is the only place in the Digital World where DigiEggs go until they are ready to begin their lives." As we began to approach the tree and looked around, he continued as-a-matter-of-factly despite how severe his words truly were, "You see, the safety of this place and everything in it is vital to our very existence."

All around us, the bushes dotted the ground, and it was then that I realized that they weren't berries as I originally thought, but the DigiEggs. I gave an awkward smile when I saw them. _Uhh…eggplants?_

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty _egg_-cited to be here!" Neemon exclaimed excitedly, shamelessly blurting out his bad pun and waving his arms about. I'd never seen someone so happy to make bad jokes. "Hehe, egg-cited! Hehe, egg-static!" _The way he laughs reminds me of how the Pillsbury doughboy laughs when you poke him in the stomach…I wonder if that's more than a coincidence… _"Egg-straordinary! And egg-ucational! Hee hee!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose and laughed shortly. That rabbit's antics would never cease to surprise me; he really didn't do too much, but when he did, it was always worth mentioning. "Way to take egg puns to the next level, Neemon," I muttered, not caring if anyone actually heard me or not. Because even if no one had actually caught my words, they probably could easily guess what they were.

"_You're here…!"_

My head snapped upwards, my eyes widening automatically. I looked to the other Warriors, but no one was paying me any mind as they spent their time looking at all of the DigiEggs and listening to Bokomon's words of wisdom on the current matters at hand. _What was that voice? _My eyes shifted around, looking for someone that I could've missed that was here with us. "Who are you?" I called out, drawing the attention of my friends.

"Who's who?" Tommy piped up, translating the looks that they were giving me into physical words. Curious eyes watched me, awaiting an answer in regards to my behavior.

I returned an equally-perplexed expression. "Wait, you guys didn't hear that?" Crossing my arms, I explained, feeling skeptical with my words as they came from my mouth, "It sounded like someone said 'you're here'. But I haven't seen any Digimon around to even know that we actually _are_ here…" I pursed my lips, giving them a cue to send me their opinions; for all I knew, I was just plainly hearing things. It certainly wouldn't have been the first time…

"Everyone stay sharp," Takuya advised after a little bit of a silence. His gaze flickered over to me, as if trying to pry into my physiognomy for more information that I just couldn't provide, but then it quickly shot back away. "Anyone could be watching us."

We all shared an affirmative glance before warily continuing our exploration. Even with the possibility of an enemy here, there wasn't much keeping us from being absorbed within the Tree of Beginnings' absolute beauty. I found myself entranced with the countless colors that dotted the tree's branches, lighting it up better than any Christmas tree. Multi-hued light seemed to beam down on each of the bushes containing DigiEggs, as if the heavens were showering their blessings upon the eggs in preparation for their life to come.

"_Come and find me…!_"

Reality struck back at me and I shot into attention. _Okay, this time I know I heard something…_I whirled around, and suddenly locked gazes with Koji, who had a knowing expression on his face. I said nothing, but as if I had asked a question, he gave a solemn nod. _So he heard it too now…_ I gave the Warrior of Light a shrug, mainly for the reason that I didn't know how else to respond. _Then there's definitely something here…But who would be calling out to us…?_

Without warning, a numerous amount of white, razor-sharp feathers shot all around us. From where they came, a large swan Digimon flew over and landed before us. Its voice revealed it was female, boosted by the effeminate appearance, "Step away from the eggs, intruders!" Her bright green eyes were fierce, a protectiveness reigning supreme over all other emotions present about her form. She was the caretaker of the Tree of Beginnings and all of the DigiEggs, I presumed without much doubt.

"Oh my, that's Swanmon!" Bokomon exclaimed, looking upon her form with awe. "She's feathered, yet fierce. Her natural beauty is only rivaled by her protective instincts." He then gave us a look, seemingly to make sure we were truly absorbing his words and taking mental notes. "Feathers will definitely start flying if you mess with _this mama_." _Ha. Ha. Remind me to put that in a joke book…_

We all began to panic a bit at the fact she looked like she wanted to kick our asses, and Takuya had to step in with his eyes like discuses (albeit sounding as frantic as the rest of us), "We're sorry! We're not here to hurt the eggs—we don't mean any harm!"

She instantly smiled. "Well, in that case, I bid you a loving welcome!"

Basically, we all collapsed with a unified groan at that second. "A loving welcome, huh…?" I murmured in slight irritation. It really didn't sound like she was joking, so that's what slightly irked me. _If you call trying to kill us with feathers like you're using throwing knives, then sure…_

She laughed lightly at our behavior, as if _we_ were the ones being ridiculous and introduced herself. "I am Swanmon. I'm the caretaker of the Tree of Beginnings and guardian of all the DigiEggs here. I take care of each and every one." She took out a watering can and began to…uh…water the…eggs…_Well, all right then…_ "I make sure that they have water and nutrients every day. They must be carefully nurtured, because these eggs are the very life of the Digital World." _The very life…_

When she finished with one bush, she began to walk off and we had no better ideas than to follow. It was clear she didn't get guests very often, so socially awkward was probably the best term to describe her. Either that, or spending so much time rushing around with the DigiEggs left her in a constantly frazzled state. I wasn't around babies very often, but from what I'd heard, they can render a parent (or in this case, a mother swan—_huh, wonder if that's a pun on Mother Goose…_) completely scatterbrained with more tasks to do than time can hold. _Or maybe_, I added with a subconscious shrug and half-hearted sigh, _it could be a combination of the both. That could only be really painful…_

"There are so many DigiEggs!" Zoe gasped, her eyes wide as Swanmon took time to check on each egg as she passed by them. "How in the world do you take care of them all?" _Yeah, especially when you're taking your time watering each one like you're doing. That's ridiculous; you're just one Digimon in what's basically an orchard of eggs…_

Swanmon released a sigh at the truth suggested in the Warrior of Wind's question, seeing the girl's point in asking. "It's a very difficult job, I must admit. And it only gets more difficult as each day passes…" Her green eyes trained to the DigiEgg being wetted with the light shower of water, pouring with exact precision as if it were some sort of science._ Maybe you can over-water the eggs, just like you can with normal crops when gardening…_

"Guys, guys, guys! C'mere!" Patamon, his eyes wide and a big smile on his face, flew past us and hovered over a DigiEgg dotted with gray spots. His entire expression was filled with wonder and excitement, his voice even more so. "This one's hatching!"

The swan Digimon rushed over in an instant and the rest of us followed suit. The DigiEgg was cracking at a fast rate and as soon as a solid break made a line entirely around it, the entire surface glowed white—_Please don't explode, please don't explode!_—and from it—not exploding into a mushroom cloud as one other child had done, I might add—appeared a small green blob whose first word instantly came out high and admittedly rather adorable as it leapt into Swanmon's wings, "Pabu!" As it looked at us, its eyes grew wider and somehow even cuter, "…Pabu?"

While the others smiled at the new life that had come into the Digital World right before their eyes (and for some, dumb reason JP a little _too_ enthusiastic about the entire ordeal), I insisted to myself that I had to keep from revealing just how cute I thought it was. I forced myself to narrow my eyes as if they were deceiving me and question, "Ehhh?…What is that?"

As if I had scrutinized it, instantly the little newborn looked to me, teared up, and began to wail out ear-piercing cries. I honestly didn't know what I had done wrong, but apparently it was evident to the other Warriors, because they were instantly on my back about it, quickly making me aware of my mistake. _It's not my fault that I'm not good with kids…is it?_

"Mirai, that was pretty tactless! You gotta be gentle with newborns; they're fragile." Zoe's quick transition from a scolding to advice was smooth like it was a scripted rehearsal. She didn't seem at all mad at me as much as just minutely irritated at my clumsiness. "Speak softly and use kind words. And give 'im a big smile; babies pick up on positive emotion really quickly, so your impression has to be a good one." She turned about and leaned over to the little Digimon, giving it a sweet, soft smile. It was unbelievable how quickly the little one stopped crying and perked up. "See? It just takes practice."

She looked back at me to give me an affirming glance and I just stood there awkwardly, amazed at her skill. She never once mentioned having siblings, so I never considered the fact she'd be good with children, but now that I thought about it, it made a significant amount of sense when thinking of how she always looked out for the rest of us Warriors like a hawk. It must've been some sort of motherly instinct that she had that awakened whenever duty called.

I groaned. _An instinct that I completely lack…_

"But there is no need to worry!" She suddenly got this look in her eyes that made me extremely worried. A part of me could sense exactly where this was headed. "I'm sure you'll get plenty of practice when you and Koji are married and have children of your own someday!"

…

…Needless to say when my mouth dropped open, my face ignited, and I wished I was dead was the exact moment when the aforementioned Warrior of Light did the exact same thing while also making the most annoyed groan-growl-thing I'd ever heard.

When I tried to turn my head, it felt my neck consisted of rusty gears that hadn't been used in quite the prolixity. My eyes, as narrow as humanly possible, looked to Swanmon, one of my only remaining sources of escape. "Swanmon," I basically moaned, all life being drained little by little, "please tell me you have to take the baby Digimon somewhere now that it's hatched." And in an inaudible murmur added, "Just somewhere that'll prevent further embarrassment…"

"That's correct." Her affirmative reply made a big sigh of relief automatically escape from my mouth. "I believe it's time to feed this little Pabumon and get him to bed. And I'm sure all of the other young ones are quite hungry about now," she responded, just the mere mentioning of taking care of the little Digimon causing a look of weariness to consume her expression. "If you'd like to come in and see them, they're right this way." She turned and began down a well-trodden path that led toward the giant, sparkling tree in the middle of the area.

"This place is huge," I heard Tommy murmur to JP. They both appeared equally awed by the immensity of the Village of Beginnings, because whenever one would turn their eyes, they would see something entirely new to take in. It seemed to have no end.

But my mind was other places than our current, physical location. As soon as my gaze fell upon the Warrior of Flame, I noticed his contemplative expression. The look in his eyes seemed far-off and detached, and I knew when he beheld such, there was something important occupying his mind. I allowed myself to stray over to him and fall into synchronized step as I watched him and questioned in a low voice, "You all right, Taky?" I almost reached over and touched his hand, but a portion of me decided against it.

Without a single word, he gestured over to our right and where his finger directed was a bush set aglow with many lights that seemed to be expanding. With the squinting of my eyes, I realized that they were actually DigiEggs growing at a rapid pace. From their attachment to the bush, they appeared to be inflating until they reached their proper size, and only then did they stop glowing. _Is that how they get here? They materialize on these bushes to grow until they restart their lives?_ But despite this sight, I didn't understand what the cause was of Takuya's unsettling behavior. "But what…?"

I trailed off the moment I saw him open his lips to explain himself. His voice didn't rise above the whisper that kept the words between us, revealing the weight of his revelation. "Just look around." His grave tone didn't encourage me to do as he said, so I didn't waste the effort. "There are new DigiEggs coming here every second. For there to be an egg here, there has gotta be a Digimon somewhere that…perished to turn into it." He stopped abruptly, but his eyes kept speaking, _This place isn't as happy as it appears. This isn't new life; this is life that has to start from square one all over again…_ His eyes snapped ahead to where Swanmon and Zoe were conversing, and Zoe was babying Pabumon, but then came back to me in a mere moment. He didn't have to say anything more for me to know his implications.

_Just who was that Pabumon in its last life? _My lips pursed automatically at the thought,knowing the distinct possibility that it was a Digimon that had been destroyed as a result of Lucemon. _And it hasn't even been reborn to a world of peace…_ My eyes locked onto Takuya's directly and could easily say that I understood what he was feeling so strongly about. A smile tried to be forced out of me, but I couldn't quite get it out onto my face. So instead, I grabbed hold of his clenched fist and held tight, trying to convey the words I couldn't say aloud, _You're not alone, Taky. We're all going to save this world._

In due time, we came to the base of the tree, which had a large opening at its base, which revealed that the trunk was hollowed out and acted as basically a baby Digimon nursery. Countless infant Digimon occupied little hanging baskets, and Swanmon placed Pabumon into one of the very few unoccupied baskets. "This is the holding place for all of the young Digimon before they are taken back to their home villages to grow up," the stand-in mother stated rather cheerily. But then that tired look appeared once again. "However, the Trailmon that usually take them haven't been coming recently, and it's becoming harder to accommodate and care for them all…"

"Why would the Trailmon stop coming?" Tommy questioned, the inquiry that genuinely piqued the interest of the rest of us. After all, the Trailmon weren't exactly the most _reliable _Digimon chugging around the Digital World. _In fact, I doubt they even know the meaning of reliability…_

Swanmon turned to us with her round, green eyes undeniably melancholy, but her tone tried its hardest to cover it up. "I heard that Beanstalk Village disappeared recently. The whole Digital World seems to be under attack. This frightened the Trailmon and they all decided to hide within their tunnels; I believe that's why they haven't been coming. I can't fathom what could possibly scare them this much…" _Wait, so you don't even realize what's going on in this world now? Are there so few people that come here to visit you that you're cut off from the rest of the Digital World…? I can't believe no one has come to warn you…_

Takuya put his face into his palm and let out an unrestrained groan. "Trailmon are bigger babies than babies…" _Well, I can safely say that's the understatement of the century…_

"Anyway, whatever the reason is, I'm here by myself…" The emotion within her tone was impossible to miss. It instantly became evident that she—in the midst of all of these baby Digimon—felt very, very alone. But she did well in hiding this from the world around her. She turned to the little ones in the basket and gave them all a big smile. "And you guys need some milk, don't you?"

"Swanmon, if you need some help, I'd be happy to give you a hand!" Zoe piped up, her entire face lighting up like this was the one thing that she cared for above all else. "I really love kids, babies especially! In fact, my mother even ran a daycare when we lived in Italy!" _Oh, so that's where it comes from…_

Instantly her enthusiasm was echoed by several of my other friends as well (again, JP sounding _way_ too enthusiastic about this), and Swanmon looked equally enthralled that she received so many eager volunteers. I couldn't help but wonder if it was because she needed the extra help or because that meant she'd be temporarily released by loneliness's grasp; something led me to believe it was more the latter than the former. "That would be great! But it's not going to be easy!" She turned about and began to walk away. "I'll just go fetch some extra bottles of milk; it'll just take a minute!"

After she had disappeared into another room and a few moments of silence passed on by (well, actually it wasn't total silence because some of the baby Digimon were making quite the racket in their cries for milk or comfort or something), I muttered while feeling basically the exact opposite of ecstatic about this whole affair, "Wait, so we're really gonna stay and help babysit?"

"Well, yeah." Takuya's voice came out plain and simple. "You can just tell by looking at her how overburdened she is. She tried so hard to hide it…" And then he got that one specific look in his eyes that made me know for certain that I couldn't say no, not when that little flicker was in his eyes and it was coupled with that unavoidable look on his face that said far too many words that struck chords. **P**oor** I**diot** T**akuya** Y**ielding had made its fierce comeback.

"And how lonely she is…" Zoe added with a sigh. In her emerald irises the one thing that flooded them was a sense of sincere empathy and understanding. "She's in a world where there are so many lives surrounding her, but she can't relate to a single one of them…"

At the beginning of my lamenting, Swanmon rushed on back, a basket of milk-filled bottles in her winged grasp. "Here we are!" She smiled brightly as she looked at each of us, distributing the bottles. "Now, make sure all the young ones have their fair share! And if you empty the bottle, just let me know and I'll fetch you another."

When she began the work of feeding the baby Digimon, the rest of the Warriors followed suit and dispersed. I was pretty clueless as to why I was even here, because if there was one thing I knew for certain, it was that I was _not_ good with kids. I seriously had no idea how to handle them and the patience I possessed really wasn't conditioned for small, living things. I mean seriously, they never sit down and they always ask "WHY?" and and and—

I stopped in the midst of my mental rant before it had a chance to drive me up the wall. My fingers were wrapped around the bottle I'd been given—the bottle filled with noticeably warm milk, and I stared down at it in mystification. _I wonder what Mom's doing right now…_ I bit my lip, but then broke into a small smile, thinking ahead. _I wonder if she'll even recognize me when I come home. She'll probably be too blinded by tears to notice how I've changed…_ Shrugging in response to the rather droll thought, I took another long look at the bottle, watching the milk inside swish around. _How much does a parent sacrifice for their children…? Swanmon goes through so much, and these Digimon aren't even her real children…_ My gaze settled on the Warriors, seeing some of them naturally nurturing and others awkwardly struggling. _How far does the reach of love go?_

"Jyari?"

"Yaa?"

I peered down to see two little Digimon standing at my feet. They were both little round guys, but one was red with little batwings protruding, and the other was purple and brown and had little, impish ears. They both stared up at me expectantly, although I had no idea what they were waiting for. I stared back in perplexity—_wait, so all they say is their own names before they learn to talk? Since when did they become Pokemon? _—and murmured, "Uhh…hi." They didn't react in the slightest, causing me to scratch my head and add awkwardly, "Look, I'm not good at this whole take-care-of-little-kids-thing, sooo…uh…"

They only continued to stare in eager anticipation.

"…I'm not the one you wanna come to if you…erm, need something…"_ Okay, what the hell do I do?!_ "…just trust me on this one…"

Stare.

…_What are they expecting from me, a song and dance?! _"…You're better off going to Swanmon; she knows what she's doing…Unlike me…"

…

Staaaare…

In the midst of their nervous twitching, my eyes shifted around frantically, looking for whoever was suitable to help me and was close enough to flag over without possibly scaring the little Digimon, which with me was definitely a distinct possibility. I caught glimpse of Zoe currently rejecting something JP was saying to her (probably something about their imaginary relationship) and she began walking this way. "Zoe!" I hissed in complete desperation. "I have children and I have no idea what to do with them!"

…_Wait, that came out wrong._

She caught my miss-wording much sooner than I did and didn't hesitate to laugh. "When I said you'd get practice when you have your own kids, I didn't mean you had to have them right away!" She giggled lightly and smiled brightly. "So what's the problem? All they want is some attention, Mirai." She peered down at them and looked as though she was going to laugh again. "Just do what comes naturally and you'll be fine." But then her gaze shot back up at me and this glint that made me all-too nervous. She then was quick to excuse herself, calling back to me in a very devious voice, "Good luuuck~!"

…_Seriously?_

I looked back down at the two little guys at my feet and crouched down. Swirling the bottle around in my hand absentmindedly, I decided to choke out even _more_ words, "Okay, 'lil squirts, let's get one thing straight here. I don't know what to do with you, and you don't know what to do with me. We're on two different levels of understanding here—" It was about here that I realized they probably didn't know what the hell I was talking about, but my mouth decided to keep letting the stupidity fall out. "—and we gotta figure out a way to reach a means of communication, ya hear me?"

…Staaaaare…

Dropping my face into my palm, I found no other option but to moan and mutter to myself, basically basking in the clear symptoms of insanity. "Man, if I could figure out what they want…All they do is…_stare_ at me…" I peeled my face off my hand and tried to give them a smile like Zoe had instructed—though I was certain it was turning out more like one of those forced ouch-just-take-the-damn-picture-already sort of smiles. At this, their mouths widened into small O's, as if they didn't know I could make such a face. _Ah-ha! Progress!_ "Erm…here, how about some milk?" I held out the bottle awkwardly, not sure how to proceed. "It's getting kinda cold 'cause it's been out for a while, but it's still milk and cold milk won't kill ya. Or at least I don't think it will…"

At this, the little purple guy lunged forward and began slurping out the milk from the bottle's nipple, looking as happy as can be, which helped ease some of my anxious nerves. The other one, however, just continued to stare up at me with that O-shaped mouth, clearly not in the mood for milk.

"So what do you want, lil guy?" Not knowing what else to do, since he clearly wasn't about to just open his mouth and tell me the exact thing that he wanted, I reached over—slowly as if this was a delicate surgery taking place—and rubbed his cheek with my index finger. Instantly I smiled when he cooed and giggled, the circular motion of my finger tickling him and causing him to rub up against my hand. Its blissful expression is what surprised me. _Is that all it takes to make a baby happy? Intimacy?_

Once the purple guy got his fill, he darted over to my other hand and with his eyes, pleaded for the same thing. A laugh escaped my lips as I set down the now-abandoned bottle and began to give him a rub as well, resulting in a near-identical response. And somehow or another, the other little Digimon caught whiff of what was going on over here and in mere moments, I found a mob of easily a dozen youngsters rushing my way. It didn't take long before they all swamped me, not bothering to wait their turn for any special attention, but just getting the idea that I was a living playground.

All of the little creatures were giggling as they climbed about me basically wherever they pleased. And for whatever reason, just seeing how happy they were induced happiness on my part. _What is this? Is happiness really this contagious when it belongs first to little kids?_

I collapsed from my crouch into a cross-legged sitting position, my legs growing undeniably tired from balancing on my toes for so long. Every one of them crawled onto my lap that could possibly fit in the space and the others snuggled up close to me, all looking up to me.

Staring.

Again.

But then a reverie came upon me, and I thought of my own childhood. In a single moment, I knew what to do. I thought a moment, going through the lists within my mind, and then parted my lips, "I'll always remember you…Carry your dreams, until they come true. Each breath that I take, each moment away, I'll always remember you…

"Everywhere I walk, I see your shadow, and when I close my eyes, I see your face… Every song I sing, I hear your melody. There's not a moment that goes by when you're not on my mind."

I released a small smile as the next lyrics formed themselves with all my memories interlaced within my voice, "You will always be my hero. Never scared, and braver than us all. Guiding light for me to follow, always showing me the way, right beside me everyday…

"I'll always remember you…Carry your dreams, until they come true. Each breath that I take, each moment away, I'll always remember you…" My eyes fell to the little Digimon about me, their own shining orbs beginning to disappear pair by pair as a few let out silent little yawns. A warm, resonating feeling filled my chest. "Oh, oh yeah, I remember. Hey. Yeah, yeah, I remember…

"Oh, for the sacrifice you made and all the gifts you gave…"

"I'll always remember you…Carry your dreams, until they come true… Each breath that I take, each moment away, I'll always remember you, you, you…

"I'll always remember you. I'll carry your dreams, until they come true. Each breath that I take, each moment away... I'll always remember…Always remember…I'll always… remember you…"

A silence seemed to echo the moments that followed. All of the baby Digimon had fallen asleep, and I took a moment to watch their little breaths move their entire body up and down before lifting my gaze up. It was with a great deal of embarrassment that I then saw everyone watching me and I shot my gaze away, feeling a distinct blush again take over.

And once again, Swanmon managed to be my salvation from this awkwardness by whispering to us, "Let's put them all to bed now. While you do that, I can bring out a snack."

We all gave quick compliance and put all of the babies into their individual baskets (me being basically useless until someone moved all of the ones off my lap that rendered me immobile). In a short time, we'd gotten all of them tucked in and made a quick exit for the door where Swanmon had a blanket spread out on the ground with large saucers of an assortment of food waiting for us. When we appeared she smiled and said, "Thanks so much for all of your hard work. That would've taken me hours to do all by myself."

"I don't understand how you do all of it yourself," Takuya stated bluntly, seemingly almost complaining that he was just put through all of that (which would've been pretty hypocritical, since he was one of those ever-so eager to volunteer to help), but then he gave one of those sweet, genuine smiles. "But I do understand why you do it."

His wording seemed to draw out agreeing smiles from the rest of the Warriors. If there was one person that could use the right words at the right time, it was Takuya. But then there were these words added onto the end:

"Soooo…this is our snack? Sweet, thanks!" And then proceeded to plop his butt down on the blanket. _What tact that boy has…_

The Warrior of Wind was quick to chide him in a disproving way, "Ugh, Takuya, do you have any manners whatsoever?" It was at this moment that Pabumon basically scared the crap outta me and popped its face out from within the blonde's hood, mimicking the girl's words merely saying 'Pabu' repeatedly in the same tone, which caused her to lighten her face a bit, but still display that annoyance toward the boy who was now stuffing a dinner roll down his throat.

"Sorry, left it at home, _Mom_," came the response from a mouth chocked full of roll.

At the quick counter, I stifled a laugh. I had to hand it to that brunette; sometimes he just was on the ball and could make the best retaliations. _But did he really have to talk with his mouth full? That was pretty gross; I think I saw some soggy bread fly from his mouth. Say it, don't spray it, buddy…_

Zoe glowered at his response as the rest of us joined Takuya on the blanket. She huffed before reluctantly joining us. There was quite the spread out before us. If Swanmon called _this_ a snack, I'd appreciate it if she showed us what a full meal was. Although I was pretty sure she didn't dish out this much food on normal occasions; after all, she didn't seem to get enough company to do so. But right now, however, she seemed to be bubbling with excitement that we were staying so long and were being willing guests. As I turned to look at her, she was rushing over with a pitcher, filling up a cup of water for each of us, and when she passed by me, I heard her humming a cheerful little singsong. I was taking a shot in the dark, but I guessed that before we showed up, no one would've ever heard such a sound come from her, because comparing the Swanmon we met earlier to the one that was here with us now, they seemed considerably different.

"Thank you for all of your hospitality, Swanmon." Zoe looked up at the swan Digimon with a perfect smile, holding up her glass to be filled. I noticed Pabumon was now on the girl's lap, watching her with absolute adoration.

Swanmon returned the smile while responding, "It's my pleasure. If I may ask, what are you human children doing here in the Digital World anyway? There haven't been humans here for quite some time—way back when the Tree of Beginnings was a little sapling within Primary Village. So what brings you here?"

"These children are the Inheritors of the Spirits of the Twelve Legendary Warriors," Bokomon began, that notable amount of pride audible in his voice. "They're here to restore the Digital World of the Fractal Code it's been robbed of and re-establish peace between all Digimon. As of now, the Royal Knights Dynasmon and Crusadermon have been scanning the Fractal Code in order to revive Lucemon. It's the current mission of these children to stop them before Lucemon is born again."

"We figured that this would be one of the Royal Knights' next stops," Koji added in from beside me, his face clear of any lightheartedness in the matter. All I could see within his visage was endless drive and the smallest fleck of melancholy. "They just scanned Beanstalk Village. There's not much left for them to take."

Takuya's voice was instant to take over where the Warrior of Light left off. "But we won't let them take the Tree of Beginnings. Don't worry, Swanmon. Just leave everything to us." His mouth hung slightly ajar for a moment as if there was something more he wished to say, but something seemed to hang within the air that told him to refrain from voicing it. His next words came out not as heartedly as his previous, leading me to remember our conversation on the train, "We'll do everything we can…"

My eyes trailed downward and my reflection stared back up at me in the ripples of my water. I held the cup in my hands, not drinking, but pondering. _Taky doesn't make a promise he can't keep…_

Everyone seemed to realize that fact in that moment, and we slipped into a silence. To our benefit, it only lasted mere moments, as JP found a way to keep from this soundlessness, "Hey, Zoe, aren't you gonna put Pabumon down so you can eat?"

She laughed shortly, her eyes falling to the baby Digimon on her lap, and then over to the Warrior of Thunder, "I would, but he cries every time I do. But that's okay…" She lifted up the little guy into the air, smiling up at it as it laughed and wiggled in gaiety. "…because you're sucha cutie!"

"I bet you spoiled the little booger with all of that attention," JP noted with a knowing grin as he peered down at the said booger, pointing his index finger at it. "Seems like the little guy thinks you're his mom or something."

The next words came from Tommy, his voice in a murmur that we could hear all-too clearly, "Wish my mom were here to spoil me…"

This struck a hard chord. Back into silence we fell, this time with little hope of revival. I could feel my heart sinking down with the hearts of my friends, the realization coming forth of how small our chances of returning home truly were. _After all, the Ancient Warriors sacrificed themselves to seal him away—they didn't even have enough strength to destroy him, and now there's only seven of us against the Digital World's greatest evil…_ I set my cup down before me, dropped my face, and rose to my feet. _What sort of odds are those?_

I walked away and began down one of the winding paths through the orchard of DigiEggs. I didn't want to sulk and wallow in my negativity, but how much could I really do against it? Looking about all of the life that surrounded me—the bushes and the DigiEggs and the Tree of Beginnings behind me—it was impossible to keep from that invading sensation of hopelessness. _I mean, when it comes down to it, all life is temporary, right? All things come to an end…_

That fatalistic fact, no matter how often the other Warriors could bring out this impeccable, undeterred feeling of optimism, could emerge from the shadows whenever it pleased and take over. It would always exist to counteract its enemy on the opposite side of the spectrum. Every being, inclination, concept, and things to be yet created had its opposite to conflict. After all, good is not without evil, night without day, love without hate. One simply cannot exist without the other.

"_This way…!_"

My mind shot into reality, that familiar voice reaching me once again but this time sounding louder and clearer. _I know I've heard it before…_ My eyes darted all around, searching for something out of the ordinary, and I called out, "Where are you?" Picking up the pace, my guard was heightened. While that voice didn't seem to be threatening in the least, I still could've been running right into a trap of any possible sort. Although, while that possibility of danger existed, there was a feeling welling up in my chest that told me there was nothing to worry about.

"_Over here!_"

Then I saw it. Rather, at first I wasn't sure what I saw, but ahead of me, I spotted something glowing. As I approached, I realized it to be a DigiEgg softly pulsating in a slightly off-white hue. Energy began to shimmer off its surface as it called out to me once again, "_You're here!_" Its tone was beyond jocund, a gleeful little voice that warmed me just to hear it. Even as something that hadn't yet come into the world, it thrived with boundless happiness.

I reached out and slid my fingertips against its smooth, almost _soft_ surface. Something, some part of its entity touched me when we made contact that made a smile form itself on my face. There was no control in the motion and accompanying it was laughter. Not full-hearted laughter or even an average chuckle, but while of a subtle nature, still laughter. I took the DigiEgg into my hands and pulled it from its stem, causing it to lose its luster. As I put my arms around it, I was filled with an endlessly light feeling.

_I wonder if…_ My gaze remained stagnant upon the egg's surface, a gentle-on-the-eyes sort of color. _…No, of course not. I mean, what are the chances…?_ But a smile returned. _Although, chances really don't have much of a weight here…_

Backtracking to the Tree of Beginnings, I found the Warriors where I left them. I could hear them discussing something, but no distinct words reached my ears. They were all standing now and had resolved expressions on each of their faces. What I could figure from that sight of them was that they had a plan. A plan that they had all intentions to carry out and fulfill. Those gloomy clouds above their heads seemed to no longer exist; there was no evidence that their presence once was. When this determination was on their side, there was not a single cloud to be seen.

Once I had gotten near, Takuya stopped what he was saying as soon as he spotted me and gave me a strange look. "Uhh, Mirai? Why are you carrying that egg?" _Oh that's what the look is for. It's the you're-the-last-person-I-imagined-to-be-nurturing_ _look_.

I glanced down at it to think before murmuring halfway honestly, "I dunno…"

When I peered back up, I noticed Koji walking over, his eyes inspecting the DigiEgg in a dubious manner yet still holding a touch of raw sentiment within the shades of blue. He began the question that I already knew he was going to ask, "Is that…?"

"I'm not sure." I felt my eyes straying everywhere but onto the DigiEgg and the Warrior of Light, feeling a jumpiness enveloping my body. "I mean…it could be. There's no way to be certain at this point." _But I can still hope…_

Koichi, probably curious of Koji's motives, meandered over as well, and with wide eyes, looked between his twin and the egg in my arms. He looked horribly lost in his mystification and desperate to find answers to satisfy him. I pitied the boy, so trapped within the mysteries of Koji's experiences before reuniting with him. He questioned his younger brother's earlier inquiry, wishing to know what direction he was headed in his thoughts. "Koji, 'is that' what?"

Takuya suddenly jumped in, apparently not hearing that Koichi had even said anything (although I couldn't blame Takuya because Koichi wasn't known for talking loudly), and threw his arm around my shoulders. "C'mon, what's with the negativity? I, for one, have complete confidence it's him. Now we should head off to the Trailmon tunnels so we can get those trains over here and get those babies back to their homes. C'mon guys, let's move out!"

Now that I had full knowledge of their plan, I had to make a choice. But I already knew what I was going to do. "I'm staying here." They all stopped and gave me a range of surprised expressions. Instantly, I could feel the pressure multiply by sevenfold, causing my face to fall. "I…I need to talk to Swanmon about something…if…that's okay."

I knew they wouldn't have a problem with it, and they proved my thought correct by encouraging me to stay if I wanted to, but in the midst of their responses, I kept my eyes fixed on Koji. He could be as cryptic and stoic as he pleased, but I knew that look he held at this moment. That half-smile that needed no words to illuminate its meaning. And I could see by it that he saw my own intentions as well; I returned a slight smile of thanks that he approved.

And so they went off. I watched them disappear down the path, their voices gradually fading out. It had been a while since I had been truly away from the rest of the Warriors with distance between us, and I had to admit it was a weird feeling. I wasn't lonely, but there was this slightly…_hollow_ feeling inside me that I couldn't explain, mainly for the reason I wasn't sure what it actually was.

Readjusting the DigiEgg in my arms, I turned to Swanmon and questioned awkwardly, my eyes darting all over the place except where they needed to be, "Would you mind me…um, watching you care for the babies?" Feeling my face instantly redden into a cherry-like hue, I apparently thought it would be wise to add to increase my awkward, embarrassed state, "See, I'm the youngest in my family so I've never had to care for little kids…"

She smiled, looking slightly amused at my timidity. "Of course, Mirai." It caught me off-guard when I realized she knew my name. While she didn't seem it, I realized, she was actually very perceptive. "And if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!"

"Well, actually…" I chewed on my lip, my fingers stroking the egg absentmindedly. "I do have a question." My shoe scraped against the ground, sliding against the green grass. "Um…I'm not sure how to word this, but…how…how do…" My mouth was open, but the question couldn't form itself. I was at a loss; I knew what I wanted to say, just not how to say it—not without sounding absolutely moronic. "I'm sorry…I just don't how to word it…When there's someone like…" I stared down at the DigiEgg, giving up on the ordeal entirely, despite how much I knew it was going to bother me. "Never mind…"

"How does a mother love her child so much?"

My face snapped up in surprise at her guess at my question, a rather educated guess I had to admit, to which she merely giggled lightly. Apparently I didn't have to even ask how she knew before she started explaining herself, "Just the way you're staring at that egg tells me all I need to know." At this, I felt my face contort and my eyebrows bend awkwardly. "Really, I could never find the way to describe motherly love. I see all of these babies leave day after day that the pain of watching them leave has become an unfelt scab. At first it was difficult, unbearably difficult—" She developed this far-off tint within her emerald-hued eyes, staring past the bushes of eggs. "—There's something about the bond between a child and its mother that is indescribable. You never know the love of a mother until you become one yourself, and when I first began here, I took those words for granted.

"But when that first Trailmon came to take the babies away, there was something deep down that didn't want them to go. It was something that needed to put love over duty. There was no explaining it; these weren't my real children, yet I still found myself caring as if they were. It's still hard to watch them go and I still remember each of their faces, but…" She closed her eyes and smiled before looking back at me, her voice full of sincerity, "I know that out there is where their true homes are. There'll always be a home for them here, but out there, they have to go and make their own destinies…After all…

"…It's a mother's wish for their child to have a happy, fulfilling life, right?"

I wasn't aware that I was smiling until I saw my reflection in her shining eyes. While she didn't really give me a distinct answer, a big part of me was greatly satisfied with her words. "Yeah," I agreed, thinking of my own mother back home worrying. "I think you're right. Thanks." _Maybe there are just some things that don't have an exact answer. _

By the way she smiled, it seemed as though she received more satisfaction than I did with my question. Little by little, I could see her burdensome loneliness fading away with each and every smile. Except I could only wonder what would happen when we have to leave her.

"Well, what a quaint little place this is. Too bad we have to scan it. But Lord Lucemon will recreate this place far better than what we see before us."

"Such a shame this is. Although, all beauty _is_ temporary, after all…"

Those voices. I knew those voices. With one hand, I pulled out my D-Tector, and with my other, I handed Swanmon the DigiEgg. "If you're even gonna _think_ of scanning this place, think again!" As they landed before me, amusement wafting off their forms, I Polymerization Spirit Evolved into Ryoushinmon. "You'll have to beat me first!" I drew my sword, knowing taunts would come before actual combat. _Maybe if I can distract them long enough, it'll give the others the time they need to talk to the Trailmon and get back here. Two against one isn't exactly the best of odds…_

The Royal Knight duo laughed at my rather cliché threat, Dynasmon questioned, "Oh and you believe that _you_ can handle both of us? I really don't believe you know what you're talking about; have all your consecutive defeats messed with your mind?"

"Where are all of your _friends_?" Crusadermon added smoothly, the final word emerging like a sudden spit of fire. "Have they left you already?"

My lips pursed, not certain what sort of response to give—after all, I had to buy time for my friends, so I needed _something _effective—but then I broke out into a smirk and snorted, "They're not here because they knew you guys were coming and didn't wanna see your ugly mugs."

They seemed far less than impressed at my response, but I was certain they were offended, Crusadermon especially, going by the distinct notes of irritation in her voice, "Must you resort to such crude insults? Oh yes, those who lack beauty _always_ must convince themselves they have _something_ to make up for it…"

"Yeah." I poised my sword before me, turned to be but a slit of silver before me. "And I have this."

Taking on both of them must've been one of the most foolish things I'd ever done, and I knew this even before I charged in, but I did it anyway. Anything to provide my friends with time; time to convince the Trailmon to come, rush back, save all of the babies. It was necessity to do this—I'd been so useless before, nothing but dead weight to the other Warriors for the longest time merely because I was too ignorant to see what was staring me down in plain sight. Rather, I just didn't _want _to see it. But now…

Creating a force field with one, extended hand to block an attack from Crusadermon, I came down with my sword upon Dynasmon, rotating my wrist of the opposite about. _Now I have to make up for that…_

Dynasmon caught my sword and flung me back against my own force field, disintegrating it from surprise and lack of focus. This gave Crusadermon an opening, which she took up eagerly, using her Spiral Masquerade to penetrate like razors through my armor. Meanwhile she cackled, the delight all-too audible within each note as I tried to protect myself. _This can't be a repeat of the last battle. I refuse to let this same thing happen again…_

I felt my eyes double-blink and in an instant, her ribbons seemed to move in slow motion. All sounds slowed and the rest of the world faded out. I threw my sword aside and grabbed the ribbons with both hands, and the exact moment I did so, everything returned to normal pace. Before I could even question what had just occurred, I grasped the ribbons and flung Crusadermon over me into the ground. I spun around to face Dynasmon at this slight moment of opportunity and then found myself frozen entirely. In one hand, the DigiEgg rested within his fingertips, and in the other was Swanmon's thin, delicate neck.

"Heartless bastard," I scoffed under my breath. Lowering my face, I could only wish for time to slow down for my friends' sake. _I need you, guys…_

"Oh, how have the self-proclaimed mighty have fallen," Dynasmon scorned, his eyes staring down at me as if I was merely a miniscule bother worth overlooking. "One must think before talking high, especially when heading into battle when they're clearly outmatched."

"And some more advice for the little fool…" I felt the pointed tip of my own sword against the center of my back, knowing instantly the one wielding it—after all, she was one of the very select few that would go this far to prove she could beat me at my own game. Her voice was prideful and smug as she pressed through my armor with my own blade. "_Never_ turn your back to an enemy. Such errors have _beautiful_ consequences."

My lips sealed themselves, my arms hung limp at my sides, and I could only watch in helpless silence. A growing feeling of imprudence was forming inside of me like a hint of yeast spreading throughout a batch of kneaded dough. _I only turned my back for a second and this happens; this is all my fault for being careless… Please, guys…Please hurry…_ My lips parted only minutely as if I was merely taking a breath as I murmured, "Don't you dare hurt them."

In the moments that proceeded, the two Royal Knights were in perfect synchrony. I felt my sword sinking in past my skin, drawing out a hastened breath from my mouth, but I kept from any other signs of the growing pain spreading throughout my body. Dynasmon merely watched, pleasure within his eyes as he jeered without any emotion but gratification, "I'm afraid you're in no position to make demands."

I felt the blade twist around like a key in a lock and pull from my back. My entire form shuddered at the sudden emptiness I sensed inside me. It was as though the Data that held my form was seeping from that wound, and with each byte another ounce of my strength. I was ready for another swift jab that never came, but a part of me knew better; Crusadermon was far too refined for such cruel torture. If she was going to stab me again, it'd be on my front at my heart.

"As long as I'm still standing—" My voice momentarily failed me, but it took me less than a second to regain my composure. "—don't consider yourself victorious."

"Standing?" A blow to my head sent me off my feet. Instantly my vision grew blotchy as if with splashes of black ink and my ears pounded with hard resonation, and I knew Crusadermon had used the flat of my sword. "Let me correct that oversight." She let out a light chortle. "It never ceases to amuse me how you insist that you'll make some sort of difference here. You're nothing but a human. A pitiful, human girl. You don't even belong here."

Pulling my gaze aside, I peered up at her from the corner of my eye, feeling my Digimon form ripping from me. "I may be human…and I may be from another world, but don't tell me I don't make a difference…" My fingers pressed into the soft dirt and I collected a handful in my fist; when I watched the motion, I realized they were but my small, human fingers. "Don't forget that it was the Digital World that called us humans, and it wouldn't have if there wasn't something we could do. I've strayed from the proper path many times, I'll admit that, but…" I felt the black blotches before my eyes making me dizzy. _No, I can't lose it all now; I _won't_ lose it all now. Not when Swanmon and the DigiEgg are in such danger…_ "…never, _ever _tell me I've done nothing for the place I love."

"Then I suggest a game." Dynasmon's voice was all-too eager. I couldn't watch him as he spoke; a weight was bearing down on me, each pound doubling every moment. "Let us see how useful your feeble existence truly is." His words struck an instantly-sickened chord, causing me to look through my lightheadedness and see his gaze poised in the direction of the tree. The glint in his eyes was haughty and deceitful—no, it was pure _evil_.

My eyes grew wide. He lifted the DigiEgg and pausing to make sure my full attention was captured, and threw it.

Nothing but my body functioned. Not a single thought crossed my mind before I set into motion. I was up and running, stumbling over myself. My vision distorted and blotched, that egg was the only constant within my sight. _No, I can't let it—_I blinked back my emotions, outstretching my arms before me. My heartbeat was synchronized with my rapid footsteps; my gaze, my mind, my wishes all were set upon that single DigiEgg.

I jumped up and caught it within my fingertips. Pulling it close against my chest, my form crashed to the ground trembling. I felt my D-Tector fall from my pocket and heard it clatter next to me. My breath was an uneven stutter as my eyes set on the Digivice at my side. With one hand, I reached out and grabbed it, feeling my entire form cry out from the simple action. A voice whispered in my ear, leading me to know of what to do, and I pressed a single button, the screen lighting up with the symbol of Light. My voice sputtered out barely audible, frail from strain, but I knew only one word was necessary, "…_Help_…"

Dynasmon threw Swanmon aside as he and his fellow Royal Knight began to saunter over. They were matched, step for step, and when they were looming over me, I could feel equal feelings of sick triumph surrounding their aura. I tightened my grasp on the DigiEgg and knew further protection was necessary—protection that I as a human couldn't provide. _No, if there's one thing I must do, it's protect the egg. I must protect him…_

"And now for your _beautiful_ end…" Crusadermon grasped one of the many ribbons upon her shoulders and it instantly transformed into a sharp blade.

"How enjoyable it'll be for this nuisance to be no more," Dynasmon added, turning his face aside in such a way that a shadow was cast upon half of his beastlike face. "Crusadermon, my dear, you can deal the finishing blow."

I closed my eyes and turned my face away, feeling my hands shaking. A very far away feeling began to take over; sounds blended and distinctly fluctuated in volume. "Do your worst."

All I could do was wait for it, wait for whatever they were planning. But nothing ever came. There was a boom, a crash, and Crusadermon letting out a shrill curse. I then opened my eyes and saw none other than MagnaGarurumon and EmperorGreymon standing before me, Dynasmon and Crusadermon having fallen back and facing the two Warriors. There were chinks in each of the Royal Knights' armor, chinks that seemed to be bullet holes.

"And so the plot thickens," Crusadermon sneered, withdrawing a rose. "I was wondering if the rest of you children would even show up. It pleases me that you've come to entertain us; I thought for sure you had run back home because our _beautiful_ quest for reformation had overpowered your trite goal of saving this misguided world."

"We're not going home until this world is at peace, and we're not gonna let you stand in our way!" EmperorGreymon retaliated, his hand reaching back for the hilt of his sheaved sword. "And that means we're not gonna let you take the Tree of Beginnings. This place is sacred—it's the source of all Digimon life! Why would you destroy the place where all life has its beginning?! What could possibly justify killing the very place that's keeping this world alive?!"

As their words bounced back and forth, my mind couldn't keep up with it all. The wavering of sounds magnified and made my head throb. Sitting up, I tried to recollect the bearings that tried to evade my grasp. My blotched vision was replaced by a slight blur in the corners of my line of sight, allowing me to see the rest of my friends running toward me when I turned my head. I made an attempt at a smile but had no way of determining if it had formed at all.

JP and Koichi went to attend to Swanmon, who was more injured than I had originally assumed, and Zoe and Tommy came to me, immediately helping me up onto my feet. Instantly I was bombarded with questions I could barely separate one from the other but could easily assume, and I just murmured distractedly as my gaze went back and forth between them and the battle about to ensue, "I'm fine. Don't worry about me." _But thanks. I wouldn't even be here if you guys weren't my friends…_

Between the two, JP and Koichi managed to carry Swanmon over, and the Warrior of Thunder was quick to say, "We should get under cover. No telling how much area they'll make the battlefield. This entire place isn't safe for anyone anymore."

Instantly an explosion proved him correct. Dirt and grass sprayed up into the air, clouding up the area, but that wasn't the only thing being destroyed. Numerous DigiEggs were sent flying, some already in countless shards. At the merciless contact to the ground, the ones in one piece burst apart and their Data disintegrated into nothingness. _They're…gone. Dead. They were ripped from this world before they even got a start to life…_

There was a silence between us as this occurred, but the silence only resonated within our group; the sounds of battle raged outside our group. This silence was only broken when Koichi voiced the exact words I knew we were all thinking, "We need to save the DigiEggs." I looked to him as he said this and never before had his face matched his younger brother's so much. That fire within his deep eyes was ignited with that familiar, unstoppable drive. He looked over towards the form his twin had taken, watching the combat ensue. "Look at them. They're not even trying because they know if they fight, they may hurt the eggs. They're just turning the other cheek hit after hit." His brows furrowed and he frowned. "This is something _we_ can do…"

"I'll go back and try to convince the Trailmon again," Zoe added, her face alert as she turned away to leave. "They're our only chance of ensuring the eggs' safety."

With his compliance, I handed Bokomon the DigiEgg that hadn't left my grasp all the while and spoke up, my senses finally returning to normality, "I'll go with you. Between the two of us, maybe we'll get at least one of them to understand."

She gave me a half-smile. "Alright, let's get going then."

* * *

"The Village of Beginnings is under attack. The others are collecting the DigiEggs as fast as they can, but we have no way of transporting them! These are innocent, little lives we're talking about, not to mention that they are the very _future_ of the Digital World! We've already watched as many of them were destroyed right before our eyes, and I'm certain that if you don't help us the rest will be destroyed as well! You're our only hope—are you just going to hide here and let them all _die_!?"

Within the Warrior of Wind, the wildfire within her eyes was unlike any passion she'd ever displayed and the fervor with which she spoke possessed a flare unfamiliar to what I'd ever witnessed within her, but despite it being new on her, I'd seen it before. Between the urgency and that near-tears look upon her face, it suddenly came upon me where I had seen such emotion, such powerful words come searing from the heart before. In a single moment, she'd become Takuya.

Before any of the Trailmon could cut in with a response, I jumped in to add, "The Royal Knights will stop at nothing to obtain the land's Fractal Code. Even if you hide here, your little cave will be scanned as well and anywhere else you try to hide! While the land may disappear, we can't let those that live there disappear with it!" I felt my eyelids blinking moisture away, but I could only wipe my eyes and continue. "If you don't help us, there will be no one left! No one to live here and breathe the air and give this world a bright future—all Digimon life will just be _gone_! Is cowardice really worth it when _that's_ at stake?!"

Silence.

They watched us intently without making a sound. Beside me, I saw Zoe clasp her hands together and hold them against her lips. Only then did I see the shimmering of tears upon her cheeks in the dim light. Her voice choking, it only emerged as a desperate whisper, "…Please help us…"

The creaking of wheels is what snapped us into full attention. The position of Angler's light shifted as he crept forward and in his German accent, he admitted rather bashfully, "You do speak a good piece." His single eye moved about to look at the other, several Trailmon around him and seemed to make a decision based on what he saw. "We will be cowards no longer! Climb aboard, _kinder_! We have babies to save! _Mach schnell_!"

The Italian girl and I exchanged smiles as we obeyed and climbed on. The exact moment we got a secure hold on Angler's side was when he took off. How quickly we made our exit into the outside world was blinding. We were flying; the pace we had on the way here was nothing compared to how fast we were going now. In the distance we saw a large dragon-like apparition being consumed by what appeared like bubbles. To fix my confusion, Angler exclaimed, "The babies are rising up and fighting!"

And in but a minute we were pulling up next to the tree, and Zoe and I hopped off, joining Koichi, JP, Tommy, and our Digimon companions. Baskets of DigiEggs were sitting near the tracks to be loaded, but before we could even begin to put them on the Trailmon, Bokomon cut in urgently, "We can finish up here. The rest of you go and help Takuya and Koji."

We all gave a solemn nod and took off down the path towards the tree. In the next clearing were the Warriors of Flame and Light, the Royal Knights, and many little baby Digimon. As we grew near, Crusadermon's aggravated voice rang out, "Say goodbye, little ones! Your lives are about to end at their very beginning! I hope you enjoyed the brevity of this existence!"

Takuya and Koji stood and outstretched their arms, creating a barrier between the Knights and the babies. "Not while we're still here, you aren't!" Takuya retaliated, his face battered and marred with dirt and scars but his irises free of blemish.

"So why don't you leave now before you meet _your_ end?!" Koji continued, his resolve a duplicate to that of the Warrior at his side. His gaze peered back only for the slightest time, but in that duration it seemed to add, _Because with all of us, there's no way you're getting out of here unscathed. That is, if you get out at all._

Without a single warning a bright light shot out from each of their pockets, and as they pulled out their D-Tectors, five DigiEggs shot overhead set aglow in light that matched that of which was identical to the beams emitting from the Digivices' screens. Fractal Code poured out of the devices in massive streams of color and took form just below where the eggs hovered. From the Data emerged the five Legendary Warriors we had defeated: Mercurymon, Ranamon, Arbormon, Grumblemon, and Avaruusmon.

But something was different. Dramatically different.

"They've all come to help us." Koji's voice was no different than a gasp, but there was no doubt that's how all of us were feeling at that moment. These Warriors—the Warriors we struggled against for so long, who would stop at nothing to destroy us and take our Spirits from us, who we knew all-too well as loyal servants of Cherubimon—were now on our side. They wanted to fight _with_ us; they wanted to save the Digital World as much as everyone else.

"We might be able to win if we combine the power of all Twelve Legendary Warriors," Koichi noted, the smallest amount of optimism shining through, no matter how his tone said the exact opposite. _Deep down he knows we can win…_

Zoe instantly smiled as she looked upon all of the Warriors who were once against us. "They're all here. We can do this."

"That's it!" Takuya held up his D-Tector, a clear sign for the rest of us to do the very same. Through the weariness clearly marked upon him, his voice spoke with power. "Let's put an end to this! We have the strength; let's win this together!"

We all took on the forms of our Human Spirits, the Spirits that started it all for us here. They were what held us together in the very beginning when we had nothing else to use for survival. Back then, they were merely tools to us; now they actually were _us_. Nothing replaced that undeniable feeling of oneness with the very creatures of this world, the creatures that we were willingly fighting for. They were the reason we survived in the beginning and throughout our experiences in the Digital World, and the reason we were standing there, surrounding the Royal Knights from all sides, ready to make sure the Digimon wouldn't suffer any longer.

And of course, I couldn't resist basking in the moment a little. I mean, _someone_ had to. I placed one hand on a popped hip and with Crusadermon in focus questioned rhetorically, "This situation isn't looking to _beautiful_ now, is it, you dumb piece of sh—" I stopped there before I could finish my name-calling, suddenly for some dumb reason remembering there were little, baby Digimon present, so changing my words, "I mean…you fluffy piece of…uh, pineapple?"

My attempt at an insult aside—_wait, wouldn't a fluffy piece of pineapple mean it's moldy?_—Agunimon showed off a snaggletooth grin as he veiled his fists in fire. He looked all-too ready to lead the rest of us in the attacks, especially when he blurted out the words, "Time to party!"

Thus initiating the attacks in a merciless frenzy of all Elements.

"Pyro Punch!" _One._

"Howling Laser!" _Two._

"Hurricane Wave!" _Three._

"Temne Gust!" _Four._

"Crystal Freeze!" _Five._

"Thunder Fist!" _Six._

"Shadow Meteor!" _Seven._

Wordlessly the other five Warriors released attacks of their own, Mercurymon shooting a green beam of light from his mirror—_Eight_, Ranamon wielding a dark storm cloud at her raised fingertips and casting it off—_Nine_, Grumblemon swinging his hammer and sending shockwaves through the ground—_Ten_, Arbormon releasing an unidentifiable mass from his mouth—_Eleven_, and Avaruusmon swinging her sword consumed in black flames, shooting off a serration of solidified energy—_…Twelve_.

Every attack was on target; they all became one, multihued mass of complete energy that consumed the Royal Knight duo. It expanded past all of us, reaching out and up past the Tree of Beginnings as if it was the very touch of the Legendary Warriors in their efforts to impact the entire Digital World. There was no description for the sensations such an energy produced, and just knowing that it was from the Warriors of good induced a set of sensations all its own.

When the attack faded, there was no one standing in the middle of our circle. That only could cause one conclusion: The Royal Knights had gotten away.

Just as we De-Spirit Evolved, from under our feet the Fractal Code of the land became visible. The tree burst from the energy being robbed from it, erupting into rainbow-colored, petal-like shards of strayed energy. We looked to the sky to see the Royal Knights flying away, knowing that they had again succeeded at stealing the Fractal Code from under us, but seeing the Trailmon filled with the DigiEggs seemed to provide a sense of victory all of its own.

_It means this world still has hope…_

On another small piece of ground stood the five other Warriors, the other portion of our team. The pleasure displayed on their faces was unmistakable, and as their Data began to return to Koji and Takuya's D-Tectors and their DigiEggs to the trains, they seemed all the more happy. There was no denying that the evil that once dwelled within each of them was gone, only leaving behind a desire to do good in their lives to come.

"I didn't ever think we'd see them again," Zoe stated, folding her hands behind her back and smiling.

Tommy grinned in agreement as he added, "Yeah, but I'm glad we did."

The smile on Koichi's face was the brightest one I'd seen on the boy all day. The shards of multicolored energy reflected in his eyes, gaining a blue tint when their hues touched his irises. "It all happened so fast, I didn't get to thank them."

"They all looked so happy that I don't think they even noticed." JP's words rang true with the images of the Warriors' faces as evidence. Though they never said a word, their expressions voiced everything they needed to say. And maybe, as we read their faces, they could read ours and see that they matched.

"It seems like we all get to be reborn." Takuya smirked at the revelation. "Whether we're people or Digimon."

I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at the brunette. I made sure to make my voice especially unimpressed for the occasion, since it wasn't _every day_ that I got to pick on the boy (okay, so maybe it was every day, but whatever), "Wow, Taky, since when did you decide to become all deep and reflective?"

The whistle of the Trailmon cut through the air and they all began to head out, but Angler stopped on the tracks before us, one of his cars open with Swanmon and Pabumon inside accompanying the baskets of DigiEggs. "These babies are all going home, and it's all thanks to you blessed children…" Swanmon bowed her head towards us, her voice gentle and sweet as always. "I'm deeply indebted to you for your kindness. Without you, no one would've been able to get out safely. But now, these babies all get a chance at the life they deserve."

Takuya shook his head as the corners of his mouth curved upwards. "We should be thanking you. The whole Digital World has relied on you to care for its future. That's much more than we've done." _She has the job of a mother, the most important—yet the most thankless—job there is. Without her, the babies would never hatch and grow up to be the Digimon that live here. To say she cares for the Digital World's future is the best description. Good job with your deepness, Taky._

"Now behave yourself, Pabumon." Zoe watched as her words sunk in as goodbye to the little Digimon and it began to cry. But there was no time for a prolonged goodbye, because Angler blew his whistle and began down the tracks. We could only wave and shout goodbyes as the Trailmon all disappeared in different directions, taking the DigiEggs where they belonged.

Except for one.

"Mirai, was this DigiEgg supposed to go with them?" Bokomon inquired, pulling the egg from his waistband and handing it to me much more eagerly than he would've if it had been Seraphimon's egg like way back when. "Because if it was…well, it's kind of late for that now."

I gave a short laugh at his words for their mere simplicity. "I'm not sure actually. I mean, it wouldn't exactly be smart to be carrying around an egg with all these battles with the Royal Knights…and with all of the random chaos we seem to create." I instantly groaned and deadpanned at the thought of my experience with Seraphimon's DigiEgg when I found myself chasing the dumb thing as it conveniently decided it wanted to roll down a steep hill.

But I tried to throw in some optimism that seemed in short supply within my thoughts, so I decided to add, "So I guess with any luck, maybe it'll hatch soon—"

I was abruptly interrupted.

By the egg hatching.

Via big, icky explosion.

_I seriously don't remember it doing that the first time. I thought that was just a Patamon-esque-thing…_ As we all choked on the now-polluted air in our attempts for breath, I caught the silhouette of the one who was contained within the DigiEgg. And as soon as the smoke cleared, the feeling that I had possessed was proven true. I had had my doubts, but I knew I should've trusted Takuya in his blind confidence all along because—damn him if he ever learns that I admit this—_he was right_.

"…Mommy?"

My heart stopped at that voice, that _name_. Only in my memories did I hear the name spoken since that time that felt like so long ago, those times that were nothing but of bittersweet remembrance. I gave a short nod in confirmation, only realizing then when the drops had slipped off my face that I had begun to cry. "Yes." My voice was twist of a whisper and a gasp for breath, a tone I could barely hear over the volume of my heart's celebration. "Yes, Demi…yes."

Those ruby red eyes shined more vibrantly than my nearest recollection, overpowering the calm blues of his petite body. The sweetest of smiles stretched across his face at the remembrance of me, but then he paused as if he was reaching back, extending his mind to grasp at a different lifetime. "…And Daddy?"

At this, Koji walked over in a mystique silence. It wasn't until his eyes met the young Digimon in my arms that a genuine, reminiscent smile appeared. Pink dusted the boy's cheeks, time alone removing the adjustment of such an endearing term as he'd received as he merely responded, "DemiVeemon…"

DemiVeemon's growing smile only increased at the affirmation; we were both here with him and nothing in the Digital World would change that if I had anything to say about it. "We've been away for a really long time, but now we're back together!" His knowledge surprised me, but I had no time to ponder it as he quickly added, which basically canceled out whatever was meditative in his previous words, "And now you can feed me!"

Koji and I merely exchanged narrow-eyed glances. Looking to JP, I could only laugh a little as I questioned, "Hey, got any chocolate?" _As if this little squirt needs any sugar. If he's the same as he was, this may cause some painful destruction of our sanities._ My mind quickly went over how much trouble the little Digimon was and how I nearly busted my neck for him countless times over, but merely chortled at how ridiculous it all was.

JP got out a bar and unwrapped it for the little guy, and as he was busy scarfing it down (he certainly didn't forget how to eat, that was for sure), I leaned over to Koji and murmured with nothing but amusement, gaiety, and partial seriousness, "This time around, he's gonna be _your_ problem."


	45. Chapter 43

**A/N: Ahhhh so so so sorry this took so long! Gomen gomen gomen~! *hands every reader a batch of cookies* I'm super duper sorry for not updating this in like...who knows how long; I've been super busy! I hope you're all not TOO mad at me... ._.**

**I have some legitimate excuses here, and feel free to smack me for any one of them. Excuse #1: I majorly procrastinated starting this chapter until one day when I woke up from a strange dream I had. I was taking a special anatomy class, and in order to take it, you had to be pregnant. 'Cept I already had the kid and she had a pet elephant (which got stuck in a lake...), and Koji was the father... yeaaah... o_O Excuse #2: I just started college earlier this month and that took a lot of getting used to. One thing they don't tell you when you're preparing to move away to college is HOW FREAKING HOMESICK YOU CAN FREAKING GET. Annnd Excuse #3: This was probably one of the hardest chapters to write. It wasn't emotionally draining or anything; it was just that I had no muse. I literally had to force myself to sit down and write, and if I was lucky, I'd churn out a paragraph or two within a day. Don't get me wrong - I really wanted to finish it and post it for you guys, but I dunno. It was hard. Plus I kinda sorta entirely rewrote the end of the episode. Actually, I rewrote a good portion of the episode just for the hell of it. Basically I didn't want to have to go line after line after line because that's boring. So yeah, seriously, a few concepts are the same, but otherwise I changed it as a whole.**

**Anyways, big inspiration to the first part of this chapter goes to the song Be Your Everything by Boys Like Girls. I am freaking in love with it; if you've never heard it, seriously give it a listen. It's one of my absolute favorites and I can listen to it over and over. **

**Finally, my imagery and analogies for aforementioned first part of the chapter are dedicated to my dear, lovely friend Kari-chan. Hon, your writing never ceases to take my breath away and never ever fails to pick me up and whisk me away to another world of wonder and beauty. Try as I may to pull out the secrets of your art, nothing ever touches my heart like your writing. So this is for you, lovely!**

**(Seriously, people, she's an amazing writer. Look her up and read her masterpieces. Username: **

**Sooo...yeah, despite how long of a wait this has been for you guys, my author's note is rather short for once. Oh by the way, I finished outlining Chapter 50 of this story (after changing ideas and revising for the millionth time), and what is usually a page and a half for an outline, for chapter 50 was five pages, not including the outline for the canon parts of the episode. I'm super duper eager to write it now!**

**Well, that's all for now! Again, I apologize for the wait, and I hope you enjoy chapter 43! (Almost done!)**

**R&R, my poppets~!**

* * *

Chapter 43

The Trailmon's bouncing on the tracks was enough to rouse a person, but that wasn't the reason I was awake. Within the darkness of night, the light of the moons and stars illuminated the faces of my friends around me. They were all sound asleep, as I should've been, but I was far too aware to doze. Tried as I may to fall asleep, no matter how long I kept my eyes closed, nothing ever dropped me into dreamland. My mind was working far too hard for a break, despite how long of a day I'd had.

Because soon after the Trailmon had taken the babies away from where the Village of Beginnings once was, we'd gotten word from some Poyomon floating in the sky that the Village of Flame—the place where I'd killed an ancient tree and almost got burned at the stake by angry Pagumon—was about to be destroyed by some of Lucemon's minions. Thus we were off again, time breathing down our necks all the while. If there was any place we had the most reason to fight for, it was that place. Takuya, Koji, and I had all gotten our Human Spirits there, and it was Bokomon and Neemon's home, so the significance of such a place being destroyed cut down deep. There was no way we'd let it be taken from us. Not without one hell of a fight.

My eyes traced over to DemiVeemon, who was curled up with Koichi. Besides Koji and I, the one the little guy found himself bonding to the most was the eldest twin, which surprised me a bit since he was the most unfamiliar to the young Digimon (we filled the boy in on all of the details after the whole ordeal, to which he merely gave us the strangest looks, yet had the most acute allure with learning more about his brother). Apparently he held a fascination with his fluffy, dark hair and his slightly-rounded cheeks, already accepting him as another member to our makeshift family and dubbing him the name "Uncle Chi-kun".

My gaze readjusted to the younger twin next to me. Seeing him asleep always made smile for the complete serenity that exuded from his form. It seemed that this state changed him; there were no signs of the Warrior that spent his days fighting, no signs that those beautiful ocean-like eyes had seen death and destruction, no signs that his inner turmoil had once rendered him angry and alone. There was none of that here before me when I looked upon his face. There weren't many sides to Koji I didn't like, if any, but this, I knew without any second thoughts, was one of my favorites. The temptation was high and almost irresistible to touch his tranquil face and watch him the whole night through.

But then I scrutinized. Although his lips were parted slightly, he was breathing lightly through his nose. Suddenly a grin made its way onto my face without my consent (okay, so maybe I allowed it to just a little bit…), and I pinched his nose for what was probably a little too long.

He snapped awake with a start.

And bopped me in the face.

"Oww…" I gave him a small pout, rubbing my nose, but overall feeling the pain of my now-bruised pride than what pain physically pulsated from my face. Narrowing my eyes accusingly, I whispered hoarsely, "What was that for?"

He looked a bit entertained at my inquiry, judging by the way his smile curved and his amused tone as he responded lightly, "Oh sorry, I'm just not used to people trying to suffocate me when I'm sleeping." His brows then twisted about with one bent more dramatically than the other, displaying a little good-humored annoyance with the expression. His eyes glinted like the moon reflecting on the sea's gentle waves, somehow seemingly matching with the flavor of his smile.

A grin crept onto my face at his words; the bluntness he exhibited was filled with much hilarity I couldn't deny that I enjoyed. "But you just made it so easy and just so hard to resist." Through the dark that separated us, I hoped he could see just how much I enjoyed his company. "Sorry…I guess." I laughed quietly as I took his hand and pulled him down with me onto the floor so that we sat side-by-side with our backs against the seat.

His fingers curled around mine and gave them the lightest squeeze of assurance. "Okay then…so what's the reason why you got me up? Can't sleep?" His mouth flat-lined as his face took upon a slightly more apprehensive expression and he watched me with distinct sharpness. I was certain that he knew what was on my mind, but it touched me to the three digital moons and back that he still allowed me to explain myself.

"Yeah, too wired." For a single, silent moment of contemplation, I turned my head slightly upward to glance out the window and see what of the world that remained beyond the glass, but then my face fell down to my lap as I began to elaborate, "I just…I feel so guilty just sitting here and napping. I know there isn't anything we can really do right now, but I still can't evade that feeling that we're letting the Digital World come second on our priority list."

Koji let the words sink into the air for a moment, a busy sort of look clouding his eyes as he went into thought. "I see where you're coming from. With the Royal Knights running around, scanning everything in sight, I'm surprised anyone here can sleep." He readjusted his hand to interlace our fingers and began tracing little circles on my skin with his thumb. "But regardless, we need all the rest we can get. We won't be any use if we're falling asleep standing up."

He offered me a small smile that I gratefully accepted by giving him one of my own. I then shifted, moving so that I was sitting on the unoccupied floor between his legs and rested my back against his chest. Turning my face up towards his, I found myself instantly sinking in to his endlessly enchanting eyes, their depth without ceasing splendor. "Very true, JiJi. But you know…" I lifted a hand and directed his chin downward toward my face. "I'm gonna need something to help me sleep."

He got my implication and complied willingly. He dropped his chin as I raised mine, and we met in the middle. Like acting through magnetism our lips connected. It was soft, and like a simple surrender to a gentle tide. Each motion seemed to flow in half-pace, but lacked none of the sparks to illuminate my world. It was like the submersion under water. Cool, light, soft water that will always caress, always love, always lap back to the shore. That sort of water that shimmered when beams of light cut past its surface into the clear depths. That sort of water that was like a friend always in attendance, always listening, always gentle against your skin. That sort of water that could take any shape, but never lose smoothness as you sunk your fingers in below its crests.

That sort of water that was perfect in every conceivable way.

If an eternity would've passed us by, I wouldn't have given a second thought. It wasn't an exhausting, adrenaline-controlled kiss, but the pure and complete pinnacle of solitude. As his fingers glided across my cheek and tucked my hair back, I grasped his shirt. That hold was my lifeline and my safeguard from the intruding world, from the forces that threatened to rip us apart. But here, grasping tight to my lifeline, none of that existed. All worry was suspended, tied by coarse ribbon, off in a distant world of its own. This was our world, a world of light and grace and undying peace. In our world, mere fairytales and fables spoke of tribulation and hurt and sorry, but not here. Not in our world.

I suddenly giggled into his mouth. The sensation was new and enchanting. Sharing words, like little paper notes passed between nimble fingers but instead from lip to lip, I felt the fluid, natural contortion of his mouth as each muscle went into motion, and in those moments, I'd never felt so connected with the Inheritor of Light, so one with his very emotions. It was intoxicating to be so tied, and I could only giggle some more just to receive that reaction once again.

He then, curiosity getting the best of him I could assume, pulled back and gave me a weird look, to which I answered, "I just had a thought, is all," and only could sit there with the dumbest smirk plastered onto my face.

The moment, suddenly over all-too quickly, was now long gone. Here was Koji, watching me incredulously as I looked up at him like I was king of the world and he was my little court jester. A few seconds of complete silence passed by before he decided that I wasn't gonna remove that expression from my mug any time soon. With his voice still quiet, it continued to hold that little bit of skepticism that what I was thinking about was in any way, shape, or form logical, "Are you gonna clue me in or is your goal to let me just sit here awkwardly?"

"Well, actually I had two thoughts." I paused, making sure he wasn't gonna say something to show that he wasn't very impressed that I could have _two_ entirely different thoughts at one time, but when he just stared at me to keep going, I obeyed, "Initially, my first thought was, well, do you realize how awkward an explanation would've been if someone woke up just now?"

Narrowed eyes. That's all I got.

I figured that was a sign that maybe I should've mentioned that idea sooner. But it was kind of late for that now, so I decided it was for the best if I pushed past that and went on, "Anyway, my _second_ thought was, well…I was just wondering…do you think Digimon get married?"

"Zoe got into your head, didn't she?" was his immediate response, twisting his eyes about as if a different angle would help him interpret how that question managed to form in my brain. And he was probably on the right track with that whole Zoe-inquiry; that sounded more like something she'd wonder than me.

Laughing quietly, I persisted, grabbing a hold of his pant leg and watching his face watch mine, "It's a legitimate question, Koji. What do you think?"

He obviously didn't know what sort of answer I was expecting out of him (and to be frank, I really didn't know, either) and so his lips remained slightly parted in his search for a response and he got this immense, far-off look in his irises. And damn, he looked really cute when he was thinking really hard like that. "Well…" He pressed a hand to his temple as if chasing after the answer was literally giving him a headache. "I guess it's _possible_. I mean, our world and the Digital World _are _connected, so…"

The logic in his statement rang true, but it wasn't all that satisfying of an answer. Obvious he couldn't give me a clear-cut yes or no, but it didn't remove the fact that I wanted one. I re-angled my body so that I could rest my head in the space between his neck and shoulder, and let my eyes look outward into the darkness. A hopeful smile appeared as I murmured, "I hope there is…"

"Mommy? Daddy?"

We both pivoted our faces up as DemiVeemon's shining eyes revealed themselves within the dim light, peering down at us from Koichi's lap. We traded smiles with the little Digimon, and he hopped down onto the floor with a soft thump. I scooped him up in my hands and allowed him to hop into my lap and snuggle to his heart's content. His crimson irises disappeared behind droopy eyelids in a few, short moments and gentle breathing ensued.

Koji and I traded expressions, me with a knowing smirk and him with a skeptical frown. I let him elaborate, which he did with a significant touch of flatness, "If you think we're gonna have a Digital World wedding just because of him, think again."

* * *

"It feels so good to be home again! And even better that there's a home to be at!"

Neemon's for-once wise words rang true for both him and Bokomon, and even Koji, Takuya, and I in a slight way. There was something about the fact of our Human Spirits once residing here that gave us too the feeling that this was a home of our own that we were returning to. And it hadn't changed at all from the last time we were here—way back when we first arrived in the Digital World. The buildings were all the same, looking more like furnaces or water heaters than anything, the ground was still solely a mixture of multiple colors of clay, and there were still flames just about everywhere. After all, this was the Village of _Flame _for more than no reason.

"Thank goodness! The Village of Flame has been spared!" In sheer glee, Bokomon leapt forward and glomped Neemon into a hug. I had never seen that usually-solemn Digimon so happy before, and in a roundabout way, seeing him like that made me happy as well. It just went to show that for him to express this sort of delight was something truly significant.

Patamon seemed just as excited as his adopted parent, and that was for good reason. Him sharing in Bokomon's emotion seemed natural, and there was something right about seeing that connection. "It's great, PapaMom! I can't believe I'm in your hometown! It's so big and huge and-and flamey, too! Wouldjya show us around?"

"I'd be delighted." Again came that rather proud tone. He sucked in a big breath of air and questioned, "Ah, doesn't that smell wonderful?"

Running past us and out of the Flame Terminal, one ever-witty JP called back, "Wasn't me!"

I facepalmed without a hesitation. The rest of the Warriors groaned in distinct unison. But then, quickly managing to recapture our attention, he then added, "Hey, the forest is still here!" _That's the forest where I first teamed up with Koji…_

"Ah, the majestic green, green forest of my youth still lives on!" Now was about when I figured Bokomon had been a little homesick on our little quest. Calling the woods _majestic_…yeah, no. "The majestic trees swaying in the breeze, the little birdies twittering!" _Ohhh, I now understand where the name Twitter comes from! Thanks, Bokomon. _"I remember how the tiny forest creatures would come 'round and mercilessly nibble at my toes…" _Uhh…I don't think mercilessly is the right word…_ "Ahh, memories…"

We joined JP at the mouth of the terminal so that we too could see the forest the way it was when we were helpless, lost kids. Maybe by using the word majestic, Bokomon was closer to the correct adjective than I first thought. Seeing it before my eyes was far greater than recalling it from images within my mind, and as I realized this Zoe took the words right from my mouth, her voice encapsulated with awe and wonder, "It's still beautiful…"

"Yeah," Koji breathed, taking a single step further than the rest of us with wide eyes. "At least what's left of it anyway…"

Tommy suddenly grinned, putting on a determined face that he must've learned from Takuya. If that expression of his would've been compared with the Flame Inheritor's version, it would've been a match. "And we're gonna make sure it stays that way! Don't worry, Bokomon, we're gonna keep this place safe!"

But as if Fate was testing our resolve, without warning the entire land that was before us was consumed in the blue light of Fractal Code. That all-too familiar hue outspread from its place of origin and grew immensely, reaching outward until it reached the terminal's plot of land. We could only watch in horror as the Data was sucked away, and the culprit consumed it all with a wicked cackle in tow, no shame within his ringing voice. "Yes…" he hissed, holding out his staff and letting the Data contained within shine tauntingly, "The master will be proud!"

"I haven't seen him before!" JP noted aloud, his alarm voiced in a way that matched the way I felt inside. "Who is that bonehead?!"

To respond, Bokomon had his green reference book out and open. Patamon was perched onto his back, his eyes wide as his PapaMom answered the Warrior of Thunder's question, "According to my book, it's a SkullSatamon."

And that name seemed a bit too fitting for this Digimon. He was all bones, a skeleton of seemingly a fallen angel of sorts. Dark wings protruded from his thin back, visibly attached to his scapulas. He wore baggy, dark pants and thick gloves that extended back to almost his elbows. The staff that he wielded came up to almost his shoulders and atop it was a yellow crystal ball of some sort where the Fractal Code was contained. He had no eyes, merely dark sockets where they should've been, and I believed that that was more haunting than if he actually possessed them.

"Here it comes, my lord!" He pointed his staff downward where the land once was and hurled the Fractal Code down into the depths. And he then threw his head back and began to cackle more, unthreatened by our obvious presence.

Instantly Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon all began to cry. I felt a tight wad of rage begin to accumulate within my chest, I pulled out my D-Tector. "The nerve of that unfeeling, heartless bastard. I'm going to kill him for what he's done…"

Taking a step forward, I was stopped abruptly by Takuya grabbing my shoulder and causing me to turn my gaze back to him. "We can't go rushing in there with no plan." I merely gazed at him and he read my face with ease. "I'm angry too, but we have to work as a team without doing anything rash." He tried to smile for me, but it was clearly hard for him, as it would've been for any one of us at this point. But I gave him the victory anyway for his efforts, dropping my shoulders and conceding.

By the feel of his words, I knew that he was speaking to all of us. While the words were cast in my direction, he seemed to be playing me as an example to everyone. I didn't have to look at any of them to know they felt the same way; in a certain place in each of our hearts, this village was contained. It's where all of this started, where the weak children first began to grow up, where our pursuit of destiny had delivered us. And to see it being ripped away before our very eyes—it _hurt_.

"I don't like the bad people." DemiVeemon's subdued voice drew my eyes downward to his small form. His strawberry-colored eyes possessed a sad, weary look about them, one far beyond his current life's years. From seeing that little dragon's face, I realized that there were just some things that death and reconfiguration can't make you forget. "I wish they'd just learn to get along."

It seemed we were all listening to the little Digimon and for a moment, we all just let his words set into the air and into our minds. _How many lives has he lived? How many years of war and societal unrest has he lived through and witnessed—how many wars did he fight in and suffer through? Exactly what can he look back into his memories and see?_

My mind was both unnerved and curious at the thoughts. A shudder rippled through my insides, and I had to close my eyes just to shake them away from me. Just the image of him—or any small, innocent creature—facing up against things that wished for death and bloodshed made my body grow cold. On so many—too many—levels, it was just so wrong. No eyes, no matter how big or small, should see violence, much less partake of it.

"We should go back to the terminal and think of a plan." Takuya's words were well-reasoned, but still notably shaken. I was certain if anyone else were to speak, they wouldn't have been much better off, so we followed his lead as he began back into the train station. It was a cowardly feeling—walking back with little resolve and no plan. It was easy to see on the Warrior of Flame's face he was frustrated—he was our leader and he was leading us away from the battle when all everyone wanted to do was fight.

And as soon as we were under the high roof of the terminal, Bokomon and Neemon began to let the waterworks go. They clutched each other for dear life, hysteric, and sobbed, leaving the rest of us to watch them glumly trying to grasp the measure of their pain. Imagining what they must've been feeling was impossible; they came home from a long, treacherous journey just to see their home being destroyed bit by bit. It was just the same as us returning the real world only to see Tokyo ripped away before our eyes. The tremors of these thoughts shook me up and down.

My eyes flickered to each of the other Warriors and saw no lights ignited upon their faces. They knew the intensity of this situation as well as I did and that it would be beyond wrong to show a smile or any happiness at any sort of moment like this one. I saw Patamon in Zoe's arms, pulled up against her frame, both mutually sympathetic. The little Digimon let out a quiet, melancholy whimper, causing the Italian to look down at him and press her lips lightly to the top of his head with hopes of comfort.

I dropped my eyes back down again and locked my jaw as I stared hard down at the floor. At the feeling of Koji's hand touch my arm, my gaze flickered over to the Warrior of Light's composed face. I knew he felt the sympathy that the rest of us did, but he was trying to keep a strong front so that we all didn't sink into that abyss of negative emotion. He was the one that had to stay strong while everyone else expressed; he was a buoy keeping us above the water.

The silence resonated. We gave our digital companions time to let everything all sink in. After all, we were going to fight for their town, but we should've all known by now that it didn't necessarily mean that we'd actually succeed in saving it. Our run-ins with the Royal Knights were painful, blatant evidence of how merciless those under Lucemon were; they didn't bat an eye at anything or anyone as they destroyed them just for some Fractal Code. And by the looks, this SkullSatamon chump was probably the exact same way.

"Stop your crying and start your _moving_!" The high voice of a pink bird Digimon interrupted our silence as it flew over, its eyes wide with alarm. "He's not going to stop until the whole village is destroyed and there's nothing left! You better get out while you still can!" Its words were echoed when Digimon of the same type flew over and mimicked them in an identical tone. "That scary Digimon has a big appetite, and if you don't hurry, you're gonna be his next meal!"

And as they left, a group of small mammal Digimon walked over across the train tracks. Their bodies were red, and blue stripes covered their backs and paws. Nine short tails came from each of their backsides, each tipped with blue. "So do you guys have a plan?" the first one asked.

"I plan to run!" was Neemon's immediate answer. Despite how quick the response was, we didn't take the time to give the bunny the look that probably should've been given.

The Digimon all stood up on their hind legs and showed off their round, blue eyes. "That's not the answer I was looking for," another one responded, looking a bit discouraged at Neemon's reply.

A voice suddenly emerged from above, and looking up, we saw on the rafters a few of the little birds, along with a group consisting of Poyomon and Pagumon. It was one of the Pagumon that spoke, sounding very critical of our reputation. "The only reason we stayed here is because we thought you could actually do something, but I guess we were wrong! You're just a bunch of cowards!"

I narrowed my eyes at its statement. Judging every one of us based on something that _Neemon_ said—who really wasn't the most reliable 'mon ever—was just narrow-minded, and it should've went without saying that the thoughts and motivation of the Warriors were different than that of our Digimon companions. We were the ones that were here to fight, and hell, we were going to fight. Our Digimon friends could go if they wanted—go, take shelter, be with the others that they lived with at the Village of Flame—but we wanted to fight for this place and were determined to.

At least the red Digimon on the tracks were ready to defend us, and they did so willingly, without any words from us. "Before we give up, we should let the humans speak. After all, they did come here to help us."

"No way! Don't even bother!" came a response from multiple Digimon above. _Oh, so now you're all so narrow-minded? What happened to the Legendary Warriors being heroes—esteemed saviors? Why are you giving up on us before we've even started fighting? _

One of the pink birds flew up there and landed next to the Pagumon that seemed to be leading the group in their doubt in us. "I'm not sure there's anything they _can_ do, Pagumon!"

"Yeah, you don't have to be mean to them! They did nothing to you—they're trying to help us!" one of the little Poyomon added, looking at its fellow Digimon with little complacency in its current behavior. This seemed to be a normal thing, since its expression fit well on its ghost-like face. "This land is going to be gone anyway; it's only a matter of time. Treat the humans nicer; they are the Legendary Warriors after all!"

The Pagumon merely shrugged the two Digimon at its side off and glided down to us, flapping its big ears as it passed by us. "Yeah, yeah," it responded passively and with high irritation, before turning its words towards us. "We all had high hopes for you guys when you got the Spirits of the Twelve Legendary Warriors, but I guess you just couldn't handle it, couldjya? We used to even _revere _the Spirits!"

At this, the currently-ranting Digimon stopped and looked directly at me. First was my confusion, then was my realization. Still imprinted on his face—er, body was the remains of my shoeprint, some of it still having survived all this time. In an instant it all came back to me like a smack to the face; this Pagumon, the one that was currently distrustful of us and our abilities, was the same one that on the day we had arrived here that I had roundhouse kicked.

I gave a half-cheesy, half-awkward, I-dunno-what-I'm-supposed-to-say grin, a half-wave of my hand, and just let a little, "Eh heh heh…hi," slip out of my mouth because I was totally clueless on what he expected me to do.

He clearly wasn't impressed. But what was I _supposed _to do? Apologize? I, honestly, was too proud for that.

And in my defense, he tried to burn me at the stake.

In the midst of the weirdness of our reuniting, the rest of the Digimon vocally agreed with his words, which pulled him back on track. "If it weren't for you guys, we still could've had half a chance to save ourselves and get outta here alive." He dropped to the floor where the red mammals were sitting, watching us with interest. "But we trusted you."

The blame that he was baselessly handing us was getting on my nerves. Originally I was going to let them say their piece, as the rest of the Warriors were clearly doing, but he wasn't even giving us the benefit of the doubt, the chance to speak, or the courtesy to not insult us right to our faces. "It's not our fault that you trusted us!" My words clearly caught them all off-guard, including that of the Warriors because I'd spoken so bluntly—and probably a little rudely, but I wasn't about to stop. "Look, you stayed here. You made your bed; time to lay in it. There has to be some reason—some sort of lingering hope that you decided to trust us.

"And I know we haven't been doing well lately—the Royal Knights have been kicking our asses, but are we just packin' it up and leaving?! No, of course not!" I gestured to each of the Warriors on either side of me, but kept my eyes upon the Digimon. "We've all had our mistakes and have done things we're not proud of—things that we know we've could've handled better! But we haven't let these things weigh us down. We're still here; we're still fighting. Trust us or not, we're not gonna stop working to save this world. You guys can do whatever you please; you can leave if you want, but we're not gonna cut our losses and go home any time soon."

I crossed my arms as I let the words settle in. They clearly didn't expect this coming from me, especially the Pagumon. But one of the pink birds flew over and landed next to the Digimon I was facing. "I didn't leave not just because I trust you guys," it began, looking down to its little feet. "This place is my home. I've always lived here and I'm going to spend my last hours here as well." It looked back up at us with understanding eyes. "I know you guys won't leave us, and I really appreciate how much you care about the Digital World. Many don't trust you because you're human, but…

"…I've always trusted you." The happiness and gratitude within the bird Digimon was suddenly ever-so evident as it peered out at the diminishing world outside of the terminal. "I've heard stories about you guys. How much you love this world like it's your own home." Its eyes returned to us, taking the time to give us each a moment to see how much emotion was contained in those large, blue irises. "…And I'll always follow anyone that loves this place as much as I do…"

We all exchanged smiles at its words, touched by the sentiment, but it was quickly interrupted by that increasingly-irksome Pagumon raining on the parade. "Nice sentiment, Biyomon, but it'd take more than that." His red eyes moved from the bird, over to our group. "Way back when, if there was one thing I trusted in, I trusted in Bokomon. He had us convinced that _nothing_ could beat the Legendary Warriors, and for a while, we had all believed him. But it was too good to be true; it's only a legend, a happily-ended fairytale!"

In the midst of Pagumon's words, my eyes dropped down to the Digimon in question to see how he was taking being indirectly called a liar. The words _legend_ and _fairytale_ seemed to hit him the hardest. If there was one thing I knew about Bokomon that I had learned through our travels, it was that he loved to praise us, brag about us to other Digimon, and watch us arrive victorious. He was always happiest when he was writing in that book, most likely of things about the Warriors, and to suddenly have all of that thrown back at him as if it was all wrong… I hated the look that formed on his face.

"Maybe you _should've_ run!"

The fiery tone that had come from Takuya's mouth startled me; I looked over to the Warrior of Flame and his jaw was hard-set, his brows furrowed, and his eyes ablaze. I knew that he too took the offense that had come from Pagumon's merciless insults, saw them, raised them, and now he was about to defend his friend for all he was worth.

I saw his hands curl into fists at his side. "No one said you had to trust Bokomon; you made that choice on your own. But you shouldn't blame him for expressing how much he believes! If there's anyone who has been there for us all this time, it's him. We'd have probably been screwed over long ago if he wasn't there helping us out, taking the time, risking his hide, and explaining things we didn't understand. No matter how many times we've lost a battle, he was never discouraged; he kept going on about how we were going to save everything in the end! And you can tell that he _still _believes!"

His burning irises flickered down to Bokomon, then back up again. He was still going strong; this was when Takuya was at his best. "I couldn't have asked for a better Digimon to help us out. Hell, I bet _we_ wouldn't even believe we were the ones supposed to be the Legendary Warriors if he wasn't there nagging us, 'C'mon, save the world already!'" He paused to chuckle and I felt my face deadpan at how lighthearted he was suddenly being. _So much for being at his best…_ "My point is his belief is contagious. But whether or not you trust this belief is your own ordeal. But don't you dare blame Bokomon for the destruction of your village and for leading you on because _none_ of it is his fault. When it comes down to it, it's ultimately your decision. So go ahead, run if you want to. We'll help you get out alive. But running never solved anything."

A silence lapsed briefly. I was pretty sure that no one knew how to proceed after such a speech-rant-thing such as that one. I knew I didn't. At first I hadn't been sure where he was going with his words, but then he hit home pretty hard. I loved the way he did that.

Koji was the first to break it. And thus he began to build on the foundation Takuya had formed, speaking in a clear, collected tone. The hold he possessed over his emotions was so different than his fellow Warrior's, and that's what made their tag-teaming so effective. "We did come back here to help, you know. If you don't want to fight, that's your choice, but it's not over yet. We're all still willing to fight, but we need your help."

As was trademark of when she began to plead, Zoe clasped her hands together and her eyes skirted all around, taking the proper time to look at each and every Digimon in turn. "Please, we can do this together!"

JP crossed his arms and even though he didn't smile, I could see this confidence, his encouragement written on his face. "Take it from me, you'd be surprised of what we can accomplish with a little bit of teamwork."

"That's true, and he's the lazy one of the bunch. If he can fight, then I'm willing to try." The red mammal Digimon almost seemed like it wanted to laugh with the tone that it used, but the way it leaned forward, like itching to get closer to us, it was obvious it was serious. And that, in its own special way, was touching to see. At least there was hope still remaining.

"Really, Elecmon?" came a questioning chorus of Poyomon. They flew down to the called "Elecmon", looking with slight perplexity at the one that had spoken out its willingness to try.

"Besides, wouldn't it make you feel good to know that you've done everything you could to defend your home?" JP responded back. He was really doing well here; all of his words were making me have to resist a smile. "I personally think that's something worth fighting for. Even if we can't save it, you'll still have the assurance that you fought your hardest for it."

Zoe bent forward, resting her hands on her knees as she gave sympathetic frowns to all of the Digimon. "I'm sorry that you feel like we've failed you, but with your help, we still have a chance to change the history of the Digital World. We all just have to work together and try."

"At this point, what do we have to lose?" JP thrumped his hands onto his hips. "And personally, I wanna make it as difficult as possible for those Data-sucking scum."

Neemon was pumped up now. With what probably could be considered his game face, he looked as determined as I'd ever seen him. I think deep, deep, _deep _down I was beginning to believe he was indeed a powerful warrior within his pants-wearing bunny pack. "Yeah! And for what it's worth, I'm willing to unleash the Power of the Pants!" _Dear God…_

From down at my feet, DemiVeemon looked up at me. "Mommy, can I unleash the Power of the Pants, too?"

I scooped him up into my arms, and after briefly looking around to see if anyone had heard the beginning of this exchange and seeing that no one actually had (well, maybe Koji did, but he didn't give me any sideways glances to confirm my suspicion), I confessed with an amused smirk trying its very hardest to make its way onto my face and take over, "Hate to break it to ya…but you don't wear pants."

Pagumon pulled my thoughts back onto the ordeal at hand, his voice doubtful but still interested to this ongoing discussion. "You really think us little guys can make a difference?"

"Definitely," Zoe responded without a single hint of hesitation. "We've witnessed a lot of things while we were here, and one of these things was the power we can have if we all work as one. There so many things that we came across that we wouldn't have been able to handle if we were on our own, but we made it through because we all had each other. You too can make a difference as long as you believe."

"Yeah, anything is possible," Koichi added simply. By the way his expression was settled on his face, even though he wasn't used to having to motivate Digimon or speak out to so many, he had a sense of distinct confidence amidst the slight stage fright.

"Whatever you decide, I just want to let you know it's okay with me." Tommy, his face sincere, began to step towards the group of Digimon. There was no smile present, yet he still had a way of showing an air of reassurance that seemed far older than his true, young age. "And I wanna tell you I'm going to do everything I can to save your home. I won't give up, I promise!"

"The Spirits of the Twelve Legendary Warriors live inside each and every one of us." Takuya put a closed fist over his chest, as if he could feel the presence of the Spirits of Fire dwelling within. I knew not to doubt that he indeed could just by witnessing that look in his eyes and that fervor in his voice. "If Lucemon's goons are looking to take this place, then they're in for a fight like they've never seen!"

All of the Digimon cried out in unison, all of their faces set into determination. The frenzy of positive energy they suddenly produced was contagious. I looked to the other Warriors and smiled; they really did well in rallying all of the Village of Flame residents and fighting through the opposition. When we first walked up here, the Digimon were all but driving us out of the terminal, and now they were willing to fight for their home. Such a turnaround was anything but normal. But then again, there was no denying the truth I knew:

My friends were _anything_ but normal.

I wasn't implying that they were weird (I mean, that went without saying), but they just defied logic with the way they operated. It wasn't like they were unconventional with their methods; it was more like the reaction itself was unconventional, like it had much more power, more _magnitude_, just for the reason that they were the ones acting. They could move mountains with the impact they created, do anything under the sun as long as they expressed the desire, and a portion of me wondered if I could do the same. Was it all just subconscious? Was that the power we had here that we didn't realize we possessed?

_Is that what's going to save this world?_

Readjusting DemiVeemon in my arms and allowing him to climb up onto my head, I looked to the small, makeshift army we formed. A handful of Elecmon; some Poyomon; a couple of Pagumon; a small flock of Biyomon; Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon; and a bunch of human kids. Not very daunting by the looks, but I hoped that appearances would be deceiving. Although after all of the motivational words I'd heard from the rest of the Warriors, it was really hard to not believe how much strength we had.

All this confidence, all these empowering feelings, everything that lifted drooping heads—it all came from this group of kids.

And these kids were my _friends_.

The term resonated through my mind, as it did every time I lamented on this fact. Friends was the last thing they were to me when I got here. And now… My stomach did a little backflip. …They were the best friends anyone could ever ask for. Because not only did they show their support with all of these words, words much like what they had used with all of these Digimon before us, but they also _followed_ _though_.

I had seen too many people that said but never acted. And I had judged them based on that attribute, along with any other flawed quality I saw in them. But when I looked at my fellow Warriors now, I saw none of that. Here they were, resolved and entirely willing to act. No empty promises.

And I couldn't even _begin _to explain what that meant to me.

…_Oh God, I'm a sentimental lame-ass, aren't I?_

Pinching the bridge of my nose to remove _that_ particular thought and to keep the mental shaming from continuing, my mood had all-too quickly changed as soon as Koji opened his mouth to speak, his voice showing none of the casualness that his words appeared to possess, "Alright, everybody, this is it. I'm sensing three Digimon quickly approaching from the south. SkullSatamon must have a couple of friends."

Catching the implications of his words—he could _sense_ these Digimon—but not for a second thinking of asking about them, we instantly bore witness to what could blatantly be described as all of the Digimon we'd just spent the last while rallying beginning to completely and shamelessly flip out. Scrambling around, shrieking, going absolutely nuts. It was all here lacking absolutely no refinement whatsoever.

"Well, I guess it's up to us again." Takuya glanced between Koji and me, grinning as he pulled out his D-Tector, flipped it in about in his hand, and stood at the ready. I didn't want to say that it was confidence that sparkled (err, maybe not _sparkled_…More like _twinkled_ or something…less…Edward Cullen-like.) in his eyes, but it very well seemed like that's what it was. Maybe because this time it wasn't the Royal Knights we were facing this time; this time we had a chance at different odds. For all we knew, these boneheads—_Oh crap, now I'm starting to sound like JP…_—were a bunch of half-rate losers.

"I'm ready whenever you are." As the dark-haired teen spoke, his voice crisp and calm, I thought I saw the very tiniest hint of a smile play on Koji's lips. _Not that I was staring at his lips or anything…_

Giving an agreeing nod, I pulled out my own Digivice, as I noticed out of the corner of my eye Koji did as well beside me, and we took to flanking the Warrior of Flame's sides. The other humans rounded up behind us, and we only watched as from the emptiness surrounding what remained of the small village emerged the SkullSatamon we had seen before. Plus two others that looked entirely identical.

Takuya flicked his wrist and coils of Data encased his hand. "Ready?"

"Yeah!" came the unified response.

We activated our evolutions and took on the forms that surpassed both our Human and Beast Spirits in ability and strength. Before I knew it, we were running—EmperorGreymon, MagnaGarurumon, and I—in matched step straight for the trio of SkullSatamon as the cheers resonated from behind us of the Digimon and humans we left behind. Yet they felt close—no, they _were_ close, with ours their heartbeats in synchrony.

It was three-on-three, odds that made the SkullSatamon cackle as we approached. They practically ignored our existence, beginning to destroy the furnaces and buildings that made up the village. They only paid attention when we demanded it of them, and even then, they were cocky, the one in the middle stating all-too snidely, "Ah, you must be those weak, human children Crusadermon spoke of! We'll take care of you first, then this village will be next!"

We leapt forth, each of us taking on a SkullSatamon of our own and initiating combat. I unsheathed my sword and it collided with my opponent's staff. As we both pressed our weight against our weapons, we pressed our gazes against each other exceedingly well in comparison, despite how much he towered over me. We seemed to be initially well-matched, but I tried to keep the instantaneous relief away.

"Ah, so you're the little girl that Crusadermon enjoys playing with!" he sneered, beginning to push downward on his staff and forcing me to lock my knees. Gravity was on his side now, and he was clearly eager to take advantage of it. "Enlighten me on what makes you such a fun dolly!"

A low growl instantly escaped from deep in my throat at the mentioning of the constant head-butting with Crusadermon that always renders me battered and with diminishing confidence. "Go to hell," I scoffed, quickly withdrawing my sword and grasping his staff with my bare hand before crouching down and pulling, causing him to stumble and bring him off balance. I acted quickly and dropped back onto my back, springing my legs up and out to alley-oop him right over me. Just as I sprung back up was when he was on the ground behind me.

I turned, propped my sword against my shoulder, and grinned. "So what's it feel like being shown up by _a little girl_?"

"You're a cocky human, aren't you?" Apathy was strong in his voice as he brought his bones back up into a crouch and gave me a hard stare. He picked his staff up from beside him where it had fallen from his grasp. "Bone Blaster!"

His move was easily anticipated, so it didn't take much to avoid it. It was getting difficult to _not_ be a little confident here; my ears caught the sound of the Digimon on the sidelines cheering, and I glanced over to EmperorGreymon and MagnaGarurumon to see that they too were doing well against the other SkullSatamon. These guys really _were_ nothing like the Royal Knights; this seemed almost _too _easy.

"I think I have a right to be cocky," I retorted flatly, righting my sword before me again. "Wanna see s'more?"

And without a response, I lunged. We locked weaponry, pressing against them until I thought either his staff or the blade of my sword would break. We were exactly how we were before, but our positions were reversed; I now had a view of those watching us fight. Yet here we were, stagnant—_wait._ My eyes veered downward like a shot; I knew what I had seen. SkullSatamon had taken a step _back_.

Scrutiny is what came next. _What is he doing? Is this really this easy? …Or…?_

His face was near-impossible to read. After all, eyes told a lot, and that's something he lacked. There were no muscles with which to contort his mouth, yet the expressions he wanted to make somehow were evident. And that was the key; the expressions he _wanted_ to make. If he had a plan cooked up within that skull of his, I couldn't be sure, and because of this, I couldn't take any risks.

My pace quickened, I drove harder and harder, and pushed him back, back, back. He seemed to be frustrated, but I was too caught up in my ambition—no, _desperation_—to pay any mind. As far as I was concerned, receiving an emotional reaction out of him was only beneficial. It was proof of my progress, proof that was existent besides the physical evidence of me forcing him further back.

But then he struck back.

I didn't know what he did until he had done it. He pivoted his staff, using a bend in the wood to hook the cross-guard of my sword, and twisted his weapon about, ripping mine from my hands. My eyes frantically watched it be cast back behind him and skitter on the ground, and this distraction earned me a blow to the face with the curved, hook-like end of SkullSatamon's staff.

The world shook all around me and I couldn't hold my balance, discombobulated instantly. Flecks of black and white danced around in my eyes as I tried in useless desperation to keep myself righted. I toppled over and grasped my head for dear life, trying to keep my breath steady. Freaking out would only make matters worse.

_Damn it…_ I pressed my fingers up to my head, trying to massage pressure points to soothe myself. My thoughts were starting to clear up as they broke through the buzzing within my skull, albeit horribly unorganized. _This is what he was going to do all along…_ I eyed up my sword laying a stone throw away. The thought came to go fetch it, but then within my mental disorientation, it dawned on me.

_SkullSatamon. Where is SkullSatamon?_

Alarms screeched in my head and I shot to my feet, a horrible idea with the dizziness that followed and the pressure suddenly compressing my head, but what I saw made my mind flip between on and off. It felt like I was standing there for enough time for day and night to come an uncountable number of rounds. Yet things were moving far too slow; the time it took for the situation to be grasped within my mind, for my mind to inject the rest of my body with full-fledged panic, for my face to contort to show it all off.

"Take one step and this little birdie gets it."

The words were ridiculous—that's what I picked up on first within my distorted perception—but the threat present was all-too real. SkullSatamon's fingers were clasped around a little Biyomon's head, ever so precisely so that if one misstep occurred, he could instantly shatter the bird Digimon's skull. Its cries cut through the air, cries of surrender, destruction of all hope, as he didn't even bother struggling. It was if a candle inside the little creature had just gotten pinched out.

I glared hard at the evil Digimon from under the plate concealing my eyes, but having to blink over and over with each time causing a muffled rumbling sound in between my ears and brain, I fought a constant battle with my focus. All I knew for certain was how cruel, how dirty, this was.

My gaze flickered over to MagnaGarurumon and EmperorGreymon. They stood with silent poise, watching the single SkullSatamon with his hostage, while the other two watched the Unified Warriors with their staffs at the ready, just in case they dared move. MagnaGarurumon and I exchanged a millisecond-long glance, then I turned away, allowing that horribly familiar feeling to return once again.

So that's how it was. I was the weak link. I was _always_ the weak link.

"Now…" SkullSatamon looked to the helpless Digimon trapped in his fingers, possessing an attentive gaze almost as if he thought we were no longer standing there watching. "I'm growing impatient and _horribly_ bored! I'm only gonna ask you this once: Where is the Fractal Code?!" He shook the bird's little form, demanding an answer that didn't seem like it could possibly come. "If you don't speak up, it'll be be bye-bye for you!"

Bokomon's outcry in response wasn't just immediate. It was desperate. Wild. Dire. "Don't tell him, Biyomon!"

The entire area was immediately consumed in silence. All eyes watched the pink bird who was visibly trembling with fright. I could hear breathing cease as he raised up his little wing and pointed, his voice subdued yet entirely consumed in fear, "It's over there…" His crystalline blue eyes fell to the Digimon watching powerlessly and he spoke again, "I…I'm sorry…"

A single tear fell.

And as it touched the ground, Biyomon was gone. A DigiEgg dropped to the ground in his place. And with it, the whole Village erupted into chaos. All doubt from the Digimon was forgotten as they charged into battle. Their formation was natural, as if it was written into their genes, as they came upon the SkullSatamon who had sent their dear friend to an early grave, ready to do the same to him.

I seized up my sword and joined them. Their powerful barrage of attacks had driven him up against the wall. Brandishing my sword, I came in ready to deliver my share of vengeance. I opened my mouth to speak, but he beat me to it, "Oh, you think you have me cornered, huh?!" He cackled, took to the sky, and lifted his staff. "Bone Blaster!"

We jumped back at the sounding of the attack, but instead of firing at us, he shot the intense light from the gem of his staff back at the furnace just below him, instantly combining with the gas that it contained, and creating catastrophic results. The explosion blew us all back, far from its epicenter, with a deafening boom that must've left every ear ringing.

I was one of the first to rise, only to see that the destruction of the furnace had not only taken all of the Digimon down and rendered them unfit to fight, but also revealed a circle of sparking red Data. Lamenting on its presence for only a moment, I took up a place beside MagnaGarurumon and EmperorGreymon. We stood against the three SkullSatamon, and all of a sudden, the odds had just evened themselves out again.

And just when the moment's tension couldn't have been thicker, I could've sworn I heard the Warrior of Flame sniggering. So when I looked to his face, even though I couldn't see his mouth, I could see that look in his eyes that revealed something just dawned on him. And I must've been giving off a scrutinizing air, because he then answered me, "Put the six of us—" His gaze only for a split-second made a gesture to our three opponents. "—into a force field."

Question him was the exact thing I wanted to do then, but I knew better. I threw one hand up and one hand out. "Fortified Continuum!" The familiar barrier formed at my command and consumed us like an enlarged arena. My mind was streaming at this time. _What is Taky planning? I know he doesn't want the others to get hurt, but…_ A single eye traced over to him. _…this can't just for that reason by itself. It's not like him to be so open-ended…_ Instantly my gaze turned over to the Warrior of Light, who immediately locked eyes with me. And oddly, he seemed to have no confusion that I did. _Wait, does he know Taky's plan?_

"Think back to the moon," was all he elaborated.

They didn't give me much time to think. At this moment, they both drew their swords and began charging their respective attacks. It was a race against time; the countdown of their attacks' detonation and the revelation of Takuya's plan. My hands held their positions, keeping my attack steady. _Moon, moon, moon…_

"Dragonfire Crossbow!"

"Feral Fire!"

The burst of fire, the ignited bullets. They were in motion and I still didn't know what I was supposed to do. I could feel myself visibly shaking; I wanted to snap my eyes shut, yet couldn't look away. _I need more time._

Blink. Double-blink.

Like during that battle with Crusadermon at the Village of Beginnings, the world faded out, leaving behind only my fellow Warriors' attacks, SkullSatamon, and the force field encasing us, all of which were moving in immensely slow motion. I couldn't ponder how it happened; no, I had to think of Koji's implication. _Think back to the moon…_ I drowned out the world, becoming victim to my memories. They flashed, mere images of what they truly were.

Landing on the moon. Meeting the Starmon. Seeing the Warriors in the infirmary. Trying to move the moon. Being launched from the cannon. Bouncing within Fortified Continuum.

_Wait._

My force field can _move_ and still _contain_.

I smiled and the world returned to its normal state, but I was way ahead of it. I thrust my hands, and at a matching pace as the attacks, the end of the force field we were in shifted and moved past us, shrinking to suit everything but us and still holding the Dragonfire Crossfire and Feral Fire, along with their targets. And that meant the SkullSatamon couldn't escape. And neither could the attacks.

It didn't take much for the orb to be destroyed once the amount of empty space had diminished, the attacks combining and swirling all around in a strange mixture that rendered the trio inside as mere silhouettes to us on the outside. And then it shattered, energy pulsating in the form of light and heat outward past us until it all died out. Along with the energy the SkullSatamon also met their end, reverting back into three DigiEggs, and in a solemn silence, we watched them float away. To where, we had no way of knowing now, remembering the fate of the Village of Beginning.

We de-Spirit Evolved and instead of the gleeful cheer we expected from the Digimon who had saved their village, it was an eerie quiet. We walked over, nearing the mouth of the terminal, to where they were all gathered, and in the center, were our fellow Warriors. In Zoe's arms, she embraced that single DigiEgg that once had been a brave little Biyomon willing to fight. Now all that remained was an egg, a fraction of what he used to be.

The scenes of his death flashed in my mind, glazed images that lacked sound. The memory focused on all the wrong places, the tear that had fallen, the Data that had erupted into the air. I wanted to be a victim in the scene; I wished that I didn't have a part in this, that maybe it wasn't the SkullSatamon that _I_ had been fighting that had done this, because all it proved was I couldn't pull my own weight. I couldn't hold a candle to Koji and Takuya. I couldn't protect my friends, much less the Digimon we had promised safety and salvation to.

All I could do was hate myself.

"Don't worry." The Biyomon that had spoken up earlier about its willingness to follow us stepped into the middle of the gathering, looking to the Warrior of Wind, then to the rest of us Warriors in turn. "We'll take good care of the egg. As long as our home is safe, he'll grow up just as he did before, living with the rest of our flock in the Flame Terminal. The forest may be gone, but hope isn't lost. This is our home, as it will always be, and we're indebted to you for saving it."

"What _beautiful_ sentiment. It amuses me to hear you think you've won."

I spun around, and hovering above the circle of the village's Fractal Code, was Crusadermon. Her voice was composed and in her fingers rested a single, crimson rose. "Scarlet Tempest!" She thrust her arm out and with its motion, came a gust of wind accompanied by glowing, red petals. We were all knocked back, off of our feet, to which she merely could let out an amused cackle. "It's such a shame that the SkullSatamon lost to the likes of you children, but alas, the show must go on!" She held out her palm, drawing up the land's Fractal Code into it. "And soon we will reach the climax: Lucemon's beautiful revival!"

All around us, the soil transformed into that all-too recognizable array of blues, pinks, and white. It took mere moments, and we could only watch as all but the terminal faded away. And in mere moments, so was the Royal Knight who destroyed it all, her voice calling back to us, in the midst of her laughter, "I bid you luck, children!"

A while passed before anyone said anything. There was nothing to say that couldn't be said through disheartened expressions and dull-hued eyes. Thus, after Bokomon and Neemon's farewell to their friends, we left yet another empty and hopeless area in our dust.


End file.
